The Siemens Desiro (, , ) is a family of
diesel
Diesel may refer to:
* Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression
* Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines
* Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engin ...
or
electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple-unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a numbe ...
passenger trains developed by
Siemens Mobility
Siemens Mobility GmbH is a separately-managed company of Siemens, arising from a corporate restructuring effective 1 August 2018. With its global headquarters in Munich, Siemens Mobility has four core business units: Mobility Management, dedi ...
, a division of the German
Siemens AG
Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational conglomerate corporation and the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe headquartered in Munich with branch offices abroad.
The principal divisions of the corporation are ''Industry'', ''E ...
conglomerate.
The main variants are the Desiro Classic, Desiro ML, Desiro UK and the later Desiro City, Desiro HC and Desiro RUS. The trains are mostly used for commuter and regional services,
and their rapid acceleration makes them suitable for services with short distances between stations. The design is flexible, and has become common in many European countries.
Desiro Classic
Austria
Austrian Federal Railways
Austrian may refer to:
* Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent
** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law
* Austrian German dialect
* Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...
(ÖBB) is using 60 diesel-powered Desiro trains designated as ÖBB 5022. These are based on the Class 642 used by Deutsche Bahn, but have some additional safety equipment.
Bulgaria
![Desiro on the Sofia-Lakatnik line, 14 February 2012](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Desiro_on_the_Sofia-Lakatnik_line%2C_14_February_2012.jpg)
In 2005 and 2006, the
Bulgarian State Railways
The Bulgarian State Railways ( bg, Български държавни железници, translit=Balgarski darzhavni zheleznitsi, abbreviated as БДЖ, BDZ or BDŽ) are Bulgaria's state railway company and the largest railway carrier in the co ...
began operating Desiro trains as part of a 67 million Euro deal with Siemens AG for a total of 25
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple-unit train powered by on-board diesel engines. A DMU requires no separate locomotive, as the engines are incorporated into one or more of the carriages. Diesel-powered single-unit railcars are also ...
s. As of 22 March 2006, 16 trains had been delivered, with many of them operating on the
Sofia
Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and ha ...
-
Kyustendil
Kyustendil ( bg, Кюстендил ) is a town in the far west of Bulgaria, the capital of the Kyustendil Province, a former bishopric and present Latin Catholic titular see.
The town is situated in the southern part of the Kyustendil Valley, ...
-
Sofia
Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and ha ...
line. Another 117 million Euro deal for 25 EMUs has also been signed with Siemens AG. The EMUs were fitted out in
Varna
Varna may refer to:
Places Europe
*Varna, Bulgaria, a city in Bulgaria
**Varna Province
**Varna Municipality
** Gulf of Varna
**Lake Varna
**Varna Necropolis
*Vahrn, or Varna, a municipality in Italy
*Varniai, a city in Lithuania
* Varna (Šaba ...
, where BDZ and Siemens AG are intending to establish a joint venture company. The EMUs are designated classes 30 and 31 and are servicing traffic in the Sofia and
Plovdiv
Plovdiv ( bg, Пловдив, ), is the second-largest city in Bulgaria, standing on the banks of the Maritsa river in the historical region of Thrace. It has a population of 346,893 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is the c ...
areas.
Czech Republic
Private railway company Arriva vlaky operates with two Desiro trains borrowed from Deutsche Bahn (DB).
Denmark
In Denmark,
DSB DSB may refer to:
Science, technology and devices
* DsbA, a bacterial member of the Dsb (disulfide bond) family of enzymes
* Double strand break, a break in both DNA strands, part of DNA repair
* in telecommunications, double-sideband transmission ...
has rented 12 Desiro trains since 2002. The trains were originally used between
Odense
Odense ( , , ) is the third largest city in Denmark (behind Copenhagen and Aarhus) and the largest city on the island of Funen. As of 1 January 2022, the city proper had a population of 180,863 while Odense Municipality had a population of 20 ...
and
Svendborg
Svendborg () is a town on the island of Funen in south-central Denmark, and the seat of Svendborg Municipality. With a population of 27,300 (1 January 2022), Svendborg is Funen's second largest city.[Odense
Odense ( , , ) is the third largest city in Denmark (behind Copenhagen and Aarhus) and the largest city on the island of Funen. As of 1 January 2022, the city proper had a population of 180,863 while Odense Municipality had a population of 20 ...]
and
Fredericia
Fredericia () is a town located in Fredericia Municipality in the southeastern part of the Jutland peninsula in Denmark. The city is part of the Triangle Region, which includes the neighbouring cities of Kolding and Vejle. It was founded in 16 ...
, although they have since been moved to service on
Lille Syd Lille Syd ("''Little South''") is a passenger railway line on the Danish island of Zealand, formerly connecting the towns of Roskilde and Næstved by way of Køge.
History
The railway was built as part of the Zealand South Line (''Sjællandske Sydb ...
.
On 2 July 2009 DSB signed a contract for eight trains from Siemens for
Grenaabanen
The Grenaa Line ( da, Grenaabanen) is a long standard gauge single track railway line in Denmark which runs between Aarhus and Grenaa through the peninsula of Djursland. The railway opened in 1876–1877. It is owned and maintained by Rail Net ...
, with an option for 92 more. The trains entered service on 12 December 2010, also servicing
Odderbanen
The Odder Line ( da, Odderbanen), also known formerly as the Hads-Ning Herreders Jernbane (HHJ), is a long standard-gauge single-track light-rail line which connects the city of Aarhus to the town of Odder in the Central Denmark Region. The O ...
from December 2012. Grenaabanen and Odderbanen shut in 2016 for their re-purposing for a light rail network in
Aarhus
Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Århus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and approximately northwest ...
and its satellite towns. The trainsets were moved to
Svendborgbanen
Svendborgbanen is the railway line between Odense and Svendborg, inaugurated on 12 July 1876. The line was established by Sydfyenske Jernbaner, and taken over by DSB on 1 April 1949. Since 13 December 2020, the line has been managed by Arriva ...
, whose rolling stock was in turn moved to Lille Syd.
Nordjyske Jernbaner
Nordjyske Jernbaner (abbreviated NJ) is a Danish railway company operating in Region Nordjylland. The company was formed in 2001 as a merger of Hjørring Privatbaner (HP) and Skagensbanen (SB). Headquartered in Hjørring, the company is respons ...
used Desiro trains since 2004 on all its operations. Today the company owns eight Desiro trains.
Germany
![TriebwagenderErzgebirgsbahninAnnaberg-BuchholzUntererBahnhof](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Annaberg-Buchholz_Unterer_Bahnhof.jpg)
Germany's
Deutsche Bahn introduced two-car Desiro DMUs for local services in 2000. With a top speed of , these Class 642 units are mainly used on branch lines and regional lines. Besides the 234 units purchased by DB in 2007, various private German rail companies are also using Desiro DMUs.
The Class 642 is equipped with two MTU diesel engines with an output of each and hydro-mechanical transmission with
retarders. It typically contains 100 seats. When linked together with
Scharfenberg coupler
The Scharfenberg coupler (german: Scharfenbergkupplung, abbreviated ''Schaku'') is a commonly used type of fully automatic railway coupling.
Designed in 1903 by Karl Scharfenberg in Königsberg, Germany (today Kaliningrad, Russia), the coupler ...
s, up to three trainsets can be operated together. The Desiros are quite popular with most passengers, thanks to their good acceleration. Because they have often replaced push/pull trains, their shorter journey times, such as on the
Müglitz Valley Railway Müglitz may refer to:
*''Müglitz'', the German name for Mohelnice, a town in the eastern Czech Republic
*''Böhmisch Müglitz'', the German name for Mohelnice, a former village in the northwestern Czech Republic
*Müglitz (Altenberg), a village ...
, have encouraged greater passenger numbers.
Originally DB intended to operate together modern DMUs purchased from different manufacturers, but due to software incompatibilities this proved to be impossible. Therefore, the Class 642 can only be mechanically coupled with other DMUs like the
Class 643.
Greece
![OSE Baureihe 460](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/OSE_Baureihe_460.jpg)
In
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
eight diesel DMU-2 Desiro trains (OSE class 660) were temporarily in service with the
Hellenic Railways Organisation
The Hellenic Railways Organisation or OSE ( el, Οργανισμός Σιδηροδρόμων Ελλάδος, italic=yes or el, Ο.Σ.Ε.) is the Greek national railway company which owns, maintains and operates all railway infrastructure in ...
(OSE) during 2004–2006, and again in 2007 on the
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
–
Chalkida line and on the Athens suburban railway lines (
Proastiakos
The Proastiakos ( el, Προαστιακός; "suburban") is Greece's Commuter rail service, run by Hellenic Train, on rail infrastructure owned by the Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE) (lines) and GAIAOSE (buildings and Trains). These servic ...
). Afterwards they were returned to their owner (Hellenic Shipyards S.A.) in December 2007. In the late 2008 Hellenic Shipyards/MAN-FERROSTAAL leased the eight units to Hungary with a contract for 20 years.
OSE owns and TrainOSE operates twenty electric Desiro EMU-5 (OSE class 460) equipped for the
25-kV overhead catenary
An overhead line or overhead wire is an electrical cable that is used to transmit electrical energy to electric locomotives, trolleybuses or trams. It is known variously as:
* Overhead catenary
* Overhead contact system (OCS)
* Overhead equipmen ...
system. They operate on the
Piraeus
Piraeus ( ; el, Πειραιάς ; grc, Πειραιεύς ) is a port city within the Athens urban area ("Greater Athens"), in the Attica region of Greece. It is located southwest of Athens' city centre, along the east coast of the Saronic ...
-
Athens Airport
Athens International Airport ''Eleftherios Venizelos'' ( el, Διεθνής Αερολιμένας Αθηνών «Ελευθέριος Βενιζέλος», ''Diethnís Aeroliménas Athinón "Elefthérios Venizélos"''), commonly initialised as ...
, Piraeus-
Kiato
Kiato ( el, Κιάτο) is a town in the northern part of Corinthia in the Peloponnese, Greece. It is the seat of the municipality of Sikyona. Kiato is situated on the Gulf of Corinth, near the mouth of the river Asopos. It has much tourist activ ...
,
Ano Liosia-Athens Airport and
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
-
Chalcis
Chalcis ( ; Ancient Greek & Katharevousa: , ) or Chalkida, also spelled Halkida (Modern Greek: , ), is the chief town of the island of Euboea or Evia in Greece, situated on the Euripus Strait at its narrowest point. The name is preserved from ...
suburban lines and as a stopping service on the mainline between
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...
and
Larissa
Larissa (; el, Λάρισα, , ) is the capital and largest city of the Thessaly region in Greece. It is the fifth-most populous city in Greece with a population of 144,651 according to the 2011 census. It is also capital of the Larissa regiona ...
, which is also advertised as a suburban service. OSE is in litigation with the joint venture of Siemens & Hellenic Shipyards for the supply of those 20 Desiro.
Hungary
At present 31 diesel Desiros are in service with
MÁV
Hungarian State Railways ( hu, Magyar Államvasutak, MÁV) is the Hungarian national railway company, with divisions "MÁV START Zrt." (passenger transport), "MÁV-Gépészet Zrt." (maintenance), "MÁV-Trakció Zrt." and "MÁV Cargo Zrt" (freig ...
(including the eight units from Greece), mainly as suburban trains on the regional line between Debrecen - Nagykereki and Budapest - Lajosmizse and as an express train between Budapest and Baja. Also used as local trains between Füzesabony and Debrecen and InterRegio train between Győr and Balatonszentgyörgy via Tapolca. During the summer months (when fewer units are used on the Budapest suburban routes) Desiros appear on some local train diagram on the north shore of the Lake Balaton.
Malaysia
![KLIAekspres SalakSelatan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/KLIAekspres_SalakSelatan.jpg)
The
KLIA Ekspres
The ERL KLIA Ekspres is an express airport rail link servicing the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Malaysia. It runs from KL Sentral, the main railway station of Kuala Lumpur to KLIA as well as its low-cost terminal, klia2. The ...
, an airport rail link service between
Kuala Lumpur Sentral station
Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station (KL Sentral) is a transit-oriented development that houses the main railway station of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. Opened on 16 April 2001, KL Sentral replaced the old Kuala Lumpur railway station as the ...
and
Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) is Malaysia's main international airport. It is located in the Sepang District of Selangor, approximately south of Kuala Lumpur and serves the city's greater conurbation.
KLIA is the largest and b ...
to the south, uses the Desiro ET 425 M four-car electric multiple units (EMUs) (which are technically similar to
DBAG Class 425
The Class 425 and Class 426 EMUs are a class of electric multiple units built by a consortium of Siemens, Bombardier and DWA, and are operated by DB Regio in Germany. They are essentially the same vehicle design, but the Class 425 EMU consists of ...
sets in Germany). Twelve trainsets are currently in operation: eight trains are used for the non-stop KLIA Ekspres service between KL Sentral and the airport, while another four trains call at three intermediate stations in between, including one serving
Putrajaya. These EMUs have a maximum commercial speed of making them the fastest trains currently operating in Malaysia.
Romania
Căile Ferate Române
Căile Ferate Române (; abbreviated as the CFR) is the state railway carrier of Romania. As of 2014, the railway network of Romania consists of , of which (37.4%) are electrified. The total track length is , of which (38.5%) are electrifie ...
(CFR), Romania's national railway operator, is one of the largest users of the Siemens Desiro trainsets (as the light train variant). Introduced since 2003, CFR operates 120 diesel Desiro trainsets, and uses them for both its "Inter Regio", and "Regio" services, but mainly on its "Regio" trains. The trains, designated as
CFR Class 96, are nicknamed "" ('The Blue Arrow'). There was some criticism of the use of Desiros for CFR's long-distance services because they were considered to be uncomfortable. CFR had refitted them, and is now using Desiros mainly on its medium- and short-distance routes. For example, it is planning to use them as part of a proposed commuter link in
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
and
Ilfov County
Ilfov () is the county that surrounds Bucharest, the capital of Romania. It used to be largely rural, but, after the fall of Communism, many of the county's villages and communes developed into high-income commuter towns, which act like suburbs ...
.
Slovenia
Slovenian Railways
Slovenian Railways ( sl, Slovenske železnice, ''SŽ'') is the state railway company of Slovenia, created in 1991.
Slovenia is a member of the International Union of Railways (UIC). The UIC Country Code for Slovenia is 79.
History
What is n ...
operates 30 electric Desiro units that are designated as Desiro EMG 312 SR 31E. They are used as commuter stopping trains on electrified lines, i.e., from Ljubljana to
Koper
Koper (; it, Capodistria, hr, Kopar) is the fifth largest city in Slovenia. Located in the Istrian region in the southwestern part of the country, approximately five kilometres () south of the border with Italy and 20 kilometres () from Triest ...
,
Jesenice
Jesenice (, german: Aßling''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru'', vol. 6: Kranjsko. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 144.) is a Slovenian town and the seat of the Municipality of Jesenice on the ...
(via
Kranj
Kranj (, german: Krainburg) is the third-largest city in Slovenia, with a population of 37,941 (2020). It is located approximately northwest of Ljubljana. The centre of the City Municipality of Kranj and of the traditional region of Upper Carniol ...
),
Maribor
Maribor ( , , , ; also known by other #Name, historical names) is the second-largest city in Slovenia and the largest city of the traditional region of Styria (Slovenia), Lower Styria. It is also the seat of the City Municipality of Maribor, th ...
and
Dobova (via
Zidani Most
Zidani Most (; german: Steinbrück) is a settlement in the Municipality of Laško in eastern Slovenia. It lies at the confluence of the Sava and Savinja rivers. The area is part of the traditional region of Styria. It is now included with the r ...
).
United States
![Sprinter at Oceanside - panoramio](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/Sprinter_at_Oceanside_-_panoramio.jpg)
The
Sprinter light rail system employs VT642 Desiro diesel units. It serves Northern
San Diego County, California
San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634, making it California's second-most populous county and the fi ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
between
Oceanside and
Escondido along a railway line. Twelve married pairs were delivered in August 2006 to the operator
North County Transit District
The North County Transit District (typically abbreviated as NCTD) is the agency responsible for public transportation in Northern San Diego County, California. The agency manages the COASTER commuter rail service between Oceanside and San Die ...
(NCTD). Service began on 9 March 2008, serving fifteen stations.
Mountain Rail, one of two competing coalitions bidding on a large portion of
FasTracks in
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, appeared to be proposing a Siemens Desiro ML derived vehicle that is
Federal Railroad Administration
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is an agency in the United States Department of Transportation (DOT). The agency was created by the Department of Transportation Act of 1966. The purpose of the FRA is to promulgate and enforce rail saf ...
compliant. Both
EMU
The emu () (''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is the second-tallest living bird after its ratite relative the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the genus '' Dromaius''. The emu ...
and
DMU units would have been used for the
Northwest Corridor,
North Metro Corridor and
Gold Line. Electric traction was eventually chosen for the project.
Desiro Mainline
Austria
![Cityjet in Floridsdorf](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Cityjet_in_Floridsdorf.jpg)
In April 2010 ÖBB signed a framework agreement for up to 200 Desiro ML trains. The first such trains entered service on the
Vienna S-Bahn
The Vienna S-Bahn is a suburban commuter rail network in Vienna, Austria. As opposed to the city-run urban metro network, the Vienna U-Bahn, it extends beyond the borders of the city, is operated by the ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways), and cons ...
in 2015, branded as class 4744/4746 ''cityjet''. By the end of December 2021 ÖBB received the last three-car ''cityjet'' Desiro ML from the framework contract for 200 vehicles in April 2010.
In August 2021 ÖBB acquires 21 additional four-car ''cityjet'' Desiro ML trains with eight entries and more than 290 seats.
Belgium
![NMBS MS08 08004, Antwerpen Centraal](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/NMBS_MS08_08004%2C_Antwerpen_Centraal.JPG)
In 2008
NMBS
french: Société nationale des chemins de fer belgesgerman: Nationale Gesellschaft der Belgischen Eisenbahnen
, type = Statutory corporation
, industry = Rail Transport
, foundation = 1926
, founder = Government o ...
/
SNCB
french: Société nationale des chemins de fer belgesgerman: Nationale Gesellschaft der Belgischen Eisenbahnen
, type = Statutory corporation
, industry = Rail Transport
, foundation = 1926
, founder = Government ...
ordered 305 Desiro ML trains.
In 2013, the order of the final 250 trains was suspended because of technical problems with the trains already running. The company is seeking damages from Siemens for these problems which caused many delays. Siemens had already been fined €25 million for the late delivery of the first batch of trains.
The order for all units was confirmed in 2013 and in March 2015 the last two arrived.
In August 2014 the head of the NMBS/SNCB explained to the newspapers that the Desiro trains need repairing too often, i.e., at a rate of one technical intervention per 8000 kilometers. The trains are used heavily on the
Brussels Regional Express Network
The Brussels S-train, also known as the Brussels Regional Express Network (french: Réseau Express Régional Bruxellois or RER); ( nl, Gewestelijk ExpresNet or GEN) is a suburban rail system in the Brussels Capital Region. It will offer fast conne ...
, but also
InterCity
InterCity (commonly abbreviated ''IC'' on timetables and tickets) is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Such trains (in contrast to regional, local, or commuter trains) generally call at m ...
lines between
Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504, and
Ghent
Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded in ...
and on lines electrified with 25kV AC in the Belgian
Ardennes where they replaced diesel-trains.
Germany
![Desiro ML](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/Desiro_ML.JPG)
Desiro ML Mittelrheinbahn is used by the private rail operator
trans regio
Trans- is a Latin prefix meaning "across", "beyond", or "on the other side of".
Used alone, trans may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Trans (festival), a former festival in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
* ''Trans'' (film ...
for regional services between Cologne and Mainz on the left bank of the Rhine. The EMUs are leased from
Angel Trains
Angel Trains is a British rolling stock company (ROSCO). Together with Eversholt Rail Group and Porterbrook, it is one of the three original ROSCOs.
Angel Trains was established in March 1994 as part of the privatisation of British Rail. In ...
and received the class number 460 by the Eisenbahnbundesamt, the federal railway authority (the unpowered middle carriages have the class number 860). The
15 kV AC
Railway electrification systems using at are used on transport railways in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, and Norway. The high voltage enables high power transmission with the lower frequency reducing the losses of the traction mo ...
overhead line
An overhead line or overhead wire is an electrical cable that is used to transmit electrical energy to electric locomotives, trolleybuses or trams. It is known variously as:
* Overhead catenary
* Overhead contact system (OCS)
* Overhead equipmen ...
EMUs have a top speed of ; however they are limited by the EBA to on account of insufficient braking power from . All cars use conventional bogies and additional middle carriages can be added later.
Desiro RUS
Russia
Desiro RUS, designated ES1, is
broad gauge electric commuter and regional train developed for
Russian railways
Russian Railways (russian: link=no, ОАО «Российские железные дороги» (ОАО «РЖД»), OAO Rossiyskie zheleznye dorogi (OAO RZhD)) is a Russian fully state-owned vertically integrated railway company, both manag ...
, which calls them
Lastochka
The ''Lastochka'' (russian: Ласточка, lit=Swallow) is a German/Russian commuter intercity electric multiple unit train used across multiple Russian cities, based on the Siemens Desiro design and manufactured by Siemens and Ural Locomotive ...
( en, Swallow).
In January 2013 RZD began putting into service the first 18 trains from the initial order for 38. In mid-2013 a joint venture between Siemens and Ural Locomotives began production of the second batch of 16 trains at a factory in
Ekaterinburg
Yekaterinburg ( ; rus, Екатеринбург, p=jɪkətʲɪrʲɪnˈburk), alternatively romanized as Ekaterinburg and formerly known as Sverdlovsk ( rus, Свердло́вск, , svʲɪrˈdlofsk, 1924–1991), is a city and the administrat ...
. The first train was assembled in June 2014. 62% of its components were produced locally. The factory is expected to supply 240 trains by 2021.
In 2011 RZD ordered 1,200 cars from Ural Locomotives. Local content is to be increased to 80 percent. Siemens also has an order for maintenance of rolling stock for a period of 40 years. The contracts with the Siemens is estimated at 2.5 billion euros.
Desiro Rus is divided into 6 types (ES1 (suburban), ES1 Premium (intercity), ES2G (suburban), ES2G (city-urban), ES2GP (intercity), ES1P (intercity).
A total of 236 trainsets (1283 carriage) of all Lastochka types were delivered as of November 2020.
Desiro UK
Thailand
![ARL Bangkok CityLine1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/ARL_Bangkok_CityLine1.JPG)
Nine four-car and three-car Desiro EMUs based on the
British Rail Class 360
The British Rail Class 360 '' Desiro'' is an electric multiple-unit class that was built by Siemens Transportation Systems between 2002 and 2005. The Class 360 is currently operated by East Midlands Railway and the Global Centre of Rail Excelle ...
are used for the
Suvarnabhumi Airport Link in
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...
,
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
which provides express and local services between
Phaya Thai Station
Phaya Thai station ( th, สถานีพญาไท, ) is a rapid transit station on the Airport Rail Link and Sukhumvit Line in Ratchathewi District, Bangkok, Thailand. The Airport Rail Link station is located above the mainline Eastern Rai ...
and
Suvarnabhumi Airport. The only significant difference from the UK units is a much larger air conditioning pod on the roof, providing extra cooling to cope with the Thai climate. As with other Class 360 units, the trains were built in
Krefeld
Krefeld ( , ; li, Krieëvel ), also spelled Crefeld until 1925 (though the spelling was still being used in British papers throughout the Second World War), is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located northwest of Düsseldorf, i ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
- and were delivered from 2007.
The line opened in 2010.
United Kingdom
Siemens uses the name ''Desiro UK'' for the
diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple-unit train powered by on-board diesel engines. A DMU requires no separate locomotive, as the engines are incorporated into one or more of the carriages. Diesel-powered single-unit railcars are also ...
(DMU) and
electrical multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple-unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number ...
(EMU) trains operated by various
United Kingdom train operators. These trains have a completely different design to the lighter Desiro Classic variant. The trainsets have modern equipment such as toilet waste retention tanks,
ergonomic
Human factors and ergonomics (commonly referred to as human factors) is the application of psychological and physiological principles to the engineering and design of products, processes, and systems. Four primary goals of human factors learnin ...
seats, and automated information displays with spoken announcements.
EMUs
The first electric ''Desiro UK'' units were ordered by
South West Trains
Stagecoach South Western Trains Limited, trading as South West Trains (SWT), was an English train operating company owned by Stagecoach, which operated the South Western franchise between February 1996 and August 2017.
SWT operated the majorit ...
for both short- and long-distance service out of
London Waterloo
Waterloo station (), also known as London Waterloo, is a central London terminus on the National Rail network in the United Kingdom, in the Waterloo area of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is connected to a London Underground station of ...
to
Alton
Alton may refer to:
People
*Alton (given name)
*Alton (surname)
Places Australia
*Alton National Park, Queensland
* Alton, Queensland, a town in the Shire of Balonne
Canada
* Alton, Ontario
*Alton, Nova Scotia
New Zealand
* Alton, New Zealand, ...
,
Basingstoke
Basingstoke ( ) is the largest town in the county of Hampshire. It is situated in south-central England and lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon, at the far western edge of The North Downs. It is located north-east of Southa ...
, and the
Hampshire
Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...
/
Dorset
Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...
coast, to replace its Mark 1 slam-door EMUs, which were due for replacement by the end of 2005, as most were more than 40 years old and did not meet modern health and safety requirements. They became two different classes, both of which use the 750 V
DC third-rail power supply. One hundred and ten
Class 450 four-car units for commuter services entered service in 2003, and 45
Class 444 five-car units for long-distance inter-city services entered service in 2004. An additional order for a further 17 Class 450 units was placed, with the trains in service by late 2006 and early 2007.
First Great Eastern
First Great Eastern was a train operating company in England owned by FirstGroup that operated the Great Eastern franchise from January 1997 until March 2004.
Services
First Great Eastern operated all stops and limited stops services on the ...
acquired 21
Class 360/1 four-car units which operate from 25 kV overhead electrical supply for services from
London Liverpool Street
Liverpool Street station, also known as London Liverpool Street, is a central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, in the ward of Bishopsgate Without. It is the t ...
to
Clacton-on-Sea
Clacton-on-Sea is a seaside town in the Tendring District in the county of Essex, England. It is located on the Tendring Peninsula and is the largest settlement in the Tendring District with a population of 56,874 (2016). The town is situated ...
and
Ipswich
Ipswich () is a port town and borough in Suffolk, England, of which it is the county town. The town is located in East Anglia about away from the mouth of the River Orwell and the North Sea. Ipswich is both on the Great Eastern Main Line r ...
. These entered service in 2003.
Heathrow Connect
Heathrow Connect was a train service in London provided jointly by Heathrow Express and Great Western Railway (GWR), between Paddington station and Heathrow Airport. The service followed the same route as the non-stop Heathrow Express servic ...
ordered five Class 360/2 four-car units for services between
London Paddington
Paddington, also known as London Paddington, is a London station group, Central London railway terminus and London Underground station complex, located on Praed Street in the Paddington area. The site has been the London terminus of services pro ...
and
Heathrow Airport
Heathrow Airport (), called ''London Airport'' until 1966 and now known as London Heathrow , is a major international airport in London, England. It is the largest of the six international airports in the London airport system (the others be ...
. They were converted from a speculative Class 350 order made by
Angel Trains
Angel Trains is a British rolling stock company (ROSCO). Together with Eversholt Rail Group and Porterbrook, it is one of the three original ROSCOs.
Angel Trains was established in March 1994 as part of the privatisation of British Rail. In ...
. They were later increased to five cars. In May 2018, all of the Class 360/2s were transferred to
TfL Rail
TfL Rail was the concession which operated commuter services on two separate railway lines in London, England and its environs whilst the Crossrail construction project linking these lines was underway. On 24 May 2022, upon the opening of th ...
which were replaced by
Class 345 trains from July 2020. In February 2021, it was announced that Rail Operations Group had inherited the Class 360s from Heathrow Airport Holdings. They are currently in storage pending further use with the company.
As part of the modernisation of the
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line (WCML) is one of the most important railway corridors in the United Kingdom, connecting the major cities of London and Glasgow with branches to Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Edinburgh. It is one of the busiest ...
, the
Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) ordered 30
Class 350 dual-voltage sets for use on stopping services by
Central Trains
Central Trains was a train operating company in the United Kingdom owned by National Express that operated a variety of local and inter-regional trains from 2 March 1997 until 11 November 2007.
Overview
Created out of the Central division o ...
and
Silverlink
Silverlink was a train operating company in the United Kingdom owned by National Express that operated the North London Railways franchise from March 1997 until November 2007. At the end of 2007 Silverlink Metro services were taken over by Lond ...
. They are operated by
West Midlands Trains
West Midlands Trains (WMT) is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates passenger trains on the West Midlands franchise between London and the English Midlands under two trade names: West Midlands Railway (WMR) (within the ...
. These units were originally ordered as Class 450 third-rail units for South West Trains, but following a review by the SRA they were diverted to the West Coast. The dual-voltage capability has only been used in service on temporary loan to
Southern on
Milton Keynes Central to
East Croydon
East Croydon is a railway station and tram stop in Croydon, Greater London, England, and is located in Travelcard Zone 5. At from , it is one of the busiest non-terminal stations in London, and in the United Kingdom as a whole. It is one of t ...
services whilst covering for a shortfall of Southern
Class 377 units. In 2008/09 a further 37 Class 350/2 four-car units entered service with
London Midland
London Midland was a train operating company in England which operated the West Midlands franchise between 11 November 2007 and 10 December 2017. It was owned by the British transport group Govia.
London Midland was created as a result of Gov ...
followed by 10 Class 350/3s in 2013.
First TransPennine Express
First TransPennine Express was a British train operating company jointly owned by FirstGroup and Keolis which operated the TransPennine Express franchise. First TransPennine Express ran regular Express regional railway services between the major ...
took delivery of 10 Class 350/4s in 2013.
First ScotRail
First ScotRail was a train operating company in Scotland owned by FirstGroup which operated the ScotRail franchise from October 2004 until March 2015. Prior to October 2004, trains were run by ScotRail (National Express). First ScotRail was s ...
ordered 22 three-car and 16 four-car
Class 380 units. Entry to service began 8 December 2010. They displaced the Class 318 and Class 334 "Juniper" fleets on the Inverclyde Line and Ayrshire Coast Line. The Class 322 trains on the North Berwick line were also displaced by the new units.
DMUs
To fulfill their franchise commitment,
First TransPennine Express
First TransPennine Express was a British train operating company jointly owned by FirstGroup and Keolis which operated the TransPennine Express franchise. First TransPennine Express ran regular Express regional railway services between the major ...
ordered the first diesel variant of the ''Desiro UK'' for use on its inter-city services across the north of England and over the border in southern Scotland. Fifty-one three-car units designated as
Class 185 entered service in 2006.
Desiro City
Desiro City is a high-capacity commuter EMU for the UK market building on the Desiro UK and Desiro Mainline, with a reduction in weight and energy use, and with '
fly-by-wire
Fly-by-wire (FBW) is a system that replaces the conventional manual flight controls of an aircraft with an electronic interface. The movements of flight controls are converted to electronic signals transmitted by wires, and flight control ...
' controls.
A £1.6 billion order for 115 eight-car and twelve-car units (1,150 vehicles) for the
Thameslink rolling stock programme
The British Rail Class 700 '' Desiro City'' is an electric multiple unit passenger train capable of operating on from overhead wires or 750 V DC from third rail. 115 trainsets were built between 2014 and 2018, for use on the Thameslink netw ...
was awarded in 2011 and finalised in 2013. The vehicles were given the designation
Class 700.
In 2014,
South West Trains
Stagecoach South Western Trains Limited, trading as South West Trains (SWT), was an English train operating company owned by Stagecoach, which operated the South Western franchise between February 1996 and August 2017.
SWT operated the majorit ...
ordered 30
Class 707
The British Rail Class 707 ''Desiro City'' is an electric multiple unit passenger train. Siemens Mobility built 30 five-carriage sets. Initially leased by South West Trains, its franchise successor South Western Railway began phasing them out ...
five-car units, at a cost of £210 million.
In 2017,
South Western Railway announced that they would be replacing the
Class 707s with
Class 701 trains. In April 2020,
Southeastern
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...
signed a deal to lease the Class 707s for extra capacity.
Desiro HC
![RRX 462 001](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/RRX_462_001.jpg)
At InnoTrans 2014, Siemens presented its Desiro High Capacity (Desiro HC) offering. The Desiro HC consists of single deck motor cars with up to four intermediate double deck coaches, which combines accessibility with capacity.
Egypt
In May 2022 it was announced the
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
has ordered 94 Desiro 4-car sets, amongst other railway equipment, for a railway development.
Germany
In April 2015, Siemens announced that it had won a tender to build a fleet of 82 Desiro HC trains for the Rhine-Ruhr Express (RRX) project in Germany.
Israel
![Siemens Desiro HC Israel Jerusalem 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Siemens_Desiro_HC_Israel_Jerusalem_2.jpg)
In September 2017,
Israel Railways
Israel Railways Ltd. , dba Israel Railways ( he, רַכֶּבֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, ''Rakevet Yisra'el''), is the state-owned principal railway company responsible for all inter-city, commuter, and freight rail transport in Israel. Isra ...
announced that Siemens was the successful bidder in a tender for 60 Electric Multiple Unit sets (for a total of 330 carriages) to be delivered starting in 2021. Under the contract, Siemens will supply Israel Railways with Desiro HC trainsets at a value of US$910 million with options for additional units to be supplied in the future. Siemens will also build a $65 million maintenance depot in
Ashkelon
Ashkelon or Ashqelon (; Hebrew: , , ; Philistine: ), also known as Ascalon (; Ancient Greek: , ; Arabic: , ), is a coastal city in the Southern District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border wit ...
and maintain the first 24 trains for the sum of $114 million, with an option for Israel Railways to increase the number of trains under Siemens' maintenance later.
Desiro Double Deck
A low-floor, double-deck multiple unit.
Switzerland
Swiss Federal Railways
Swiss Federal Railways (german: link=no, Schweizerische Bundesbahnen, ''SBB''; french: link=no, Chemins de fer fédéraux suisses, ''CFF''; it, Ferrovie federali svizzere, ''FFS'') is the national railway company of Switzerland. It is usuall ...
operates double-decker, or
bilevel, EMUs designated as class
SBB RABe 514
The RABe 514 is a four-car double decker electrical multiple unit used by the Swiss Federal Railways for the Zürich S-Bahn. It is part of the Siemens Desiro Double Deck product family. The trains are also referred to as DTZ which stands for the ...
. They are used as commuter trains in
Zürich
Zürich () is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2020, the municipality has 43 ...
, as part of the
Zürich S-Bahn
The Zürich S-Bahn (german: S-Bahn Zürich) system is a network of rail lines that has been incrementally expanded to cover the ZVV area, which comprises the entire canton of Zürich and portions of neighbouring cantons (Aargau, Glarus, ...
, where 61 four-car sets have been in operation since 2006.
See also
*
Stadler FLIRT
*
Alstom Coradia
The Alstom Coradia is a family of diesel and electric multiple units for intercity and regional service manufactured by Alstom, with variants operating in Europe, North America, and Africa.
Design
The Coradia is a family of high-performance r ...
*
CAF Civity
The CAF Civity is a platform of regional passenger trains which is manufactured by Spanish rolling stock manufacturer Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles. Available as both diesel, electric and battery-electric multiple unit, the ''Civ ...
*
Bombardier Talent
The Talent is a multiple unit railcar manufactured by Bombardier that was developed by Waggonfabrik Talbot in Aachen shortly before the company was acquired by Bombardier in 1995. The name ''Talent'' is an acronym in German for ''TALbot LEichte ...
/
Bombardier Talent 2
The Talent 2 is a multiple unit railcar manufactured by Bombardier Transportation. The train began production in 2008 and first entered service with Deutsche Bahn in 2011.
Despite having the same name as the original Talent, designed by Wag ...
/
Bombardier Talent 3
The CAF Talent 3 is a family of railcars designed by Bombardier Transportation and produced by CAF. The first generation Talent ''(Talbot leichter Nahverkehrs-Triebwagen)'' was built in 1996 by Waggonfabrik Talbot in Aachen, Germany. In contrast ...
References
External links
Desiroat Siemens website
Interactive 360° virtual tour of a Desiro ML
{{German DMUs
DSB multiple units
Multiple units of Denmark
Siemens multiple units
Electric multiple units of Germany
Diesel multiple units of Germany
Train-related introductions in 2000