The 300th Desiro ML train marks Austria’s fleet milestone of 300 electric multiple units in operation and reflects the success of the Siemens Mobility platform used by ÖBB under the Cityjet brand.

ÖBB 4744 Desiro ML Cityjet at Attnang-Puchheim station
Archive photo of an ÖBB 4744 Desiro ML Cityjet at Attnang-Puchheim station. Photo: Ladislav Boháč / Wikimedia Commons / CC0 1.0

Regional and Cross-Border Operations

Built for regional and suburban routes, the trains combine ⁠high acceleration with a maximum speed of 160 km/h. These characteristics make them suitable for services with frequent stops and short intervals between trains.

Siemens Mobility produced ⁠two Desiro ML configurations for ÖBB. One is designed for major metropolitan areas, including Vienna, while the other is intended for regional transport. The ÖBB Cityjet fleet operates across all nine Austrian federal states, providing local and regional connections with a high level of reliability and comfort. The trains also run on the regular cross-border connection between Burgenland and Hungary.

Manufacturing and assembly took place mainly in Austria and Germany. ÖBB Technical Services handled final assembly at its Jedlersdorf facility.

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Passenger Access and Fleet Development

The Desiro ML Cityjet is designed for large passenger volumes and barrier-free train access for people with reduced mobility. It has a low floor, wide entrances and broad passageways between the railcars.

Passengers can board without steps from Austria’s 550 mm platforms. At lower platforms, retractable steps and a lift on each side provide access. The interior includes multifunctional areas, dedicated bicycle spaces, adjustable seating and modern passenger information systems.

The metropolitan version has 244 seats, compared with 259 in the regional configuration. Axle load remains below 17 metric tons, and the EMUs meet current impact- and fire-protection safety standards.

Once the programme is complete, Siemens and ÖBB will have supplied ⁠294 units to ÖBB and another 15 to Raaberbahn, strengthening one of Europe’s most significant fleets of modern regional trains.

ÖBB’s Desiro ML rollout was built through successive fleet calls. The first 101 Cityjets entered service in eastern Austria in 2015, followed by calls for 64 trainsets in 2016, 24 in 2019 and 11 in 2020, completing the original 200-train framework contract.

In 2024, ÖBB ordered another 21 units; Siemens said at the time that 236 Desiro ML trains were already operating nationwide. The additional trains were scheduled to enter service from 2026 on local routes in eastern Austria, including the Vienna Meidling–Floridsdorf main line and branch lines in Lower Austria.

Siemens Mobility also highlights the Desiro ML platform’s energy efficiency and its potential development into battery-hybrid configurations. Such versions could operate on non-electrified routes, supporting the platform’s long-term role in sustainable mobility and attractive public transport.

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