S-Bahn Hamburg and Alstom have signed a contract worth EUR 60 million for a technology upgrade contract to modernise 82 S-Bahn trains of type BR 490 with cutting-edge signalling and automation systems. The trains will be equipped with the European Train Control System (ETCS) and modern Automatic Train Operation (ATO) technology, enabling semi-automated train operations with GoA2 (Grade of Automation 2).
Alstom will equip four prototype vehicles with ETCS Onvia units and ATO technology by 2029 and will re-homologate them. This work will be carried out at Alstom’s site in Hennigsdorf.
The contract also includes the supply of technical equipment for the retrofit of the remaining 78 trains. In addition, Alstom will support the serial retrofitting process, which will be undertaken by Deutsche Bahn.
“The combination of digitalisation and automation is the key to greener mobility by rail. It allows shorter headways and increased passenger capacity, while at the same time reducing energy consumption. In this way, climate protection and the shift towards rail-based mobility go hand in hand. With this project, the Hamburg S-Bahn is making an important contribution to the digitalisation of rail in Germany,” said Tim Dawidowsky, President of the Central and Northern Europe region at Alstom.
The 82 S-Bahn trains are part of the first batch of BR 490 trains ordered in 2013. Sixty-four trains from the second batch are already being delivered with ETCS and ATO installed at the factory. Due to this technology upgrade contract, in the future, the entire BR 490 fleet of the Hamburg S-Bahn will be ready for digital rail operations.
“With the full digitalisation of S-Bahn Hamburg, we are setting new standards for the future of rail. Fully digitalising the fleet is a milestone for increased capacity, improved quality, and significantly higher efficiency in S-Bahn operations. My special thanks go to the City of Hamburg and the Authority for Transport and Mobility Transition for their strong commitment to S-Bahn Hamburg,” said Jan Schröder, Chairman of the Management Board of S-Bahn Hamburg.
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