J-series trains have entered regular daily passenger service on Berlin subway lines U5 to U9. BVG has introduced 36 new trains. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

36 J-series trains start on Berlin U5 to U9
Photo: Stadler

According to BVG, the operator expects around 170 J-series cars by the end of 2026. Also, a further 170 cars have already been ordered. They are due for delivery next year.

Together, the rollout links two fleet changes. J-series trains are entering U5 to U9 service. Meanwhile, IK-series vehicles are being reassigned to U1 to U4.

J-series trains on Berlin lines U5 to U9

The new trains will replace IK-series vehicles that have been operating on the U5. Those IK units were originally developed for lines U1 to U4. On the U5, they had run for several years with an adjusted car width.

Meanwhile, the nine-year-old IK-series vehicles will begin serving U1 to U4. Those are the lines for which they were designed. In addition, this will support fleet modernisation elsewhere in Berlin’s subway network.

Henrik Falk, CEO of BVG, said:

Today is a good day for all subway passengers in Berlin and a milestone for the stability of subway operations, both now and in the future.

For us, it’s even a historic day. The last inaugural run with new trains for lines U5 to U9 was over 30 years ago. Today, we are setting the course for the next successful decades for the Berlin subway.

Stadler-built trains and BVG fleet modernisation

The J-series trains were developed and manufactured in Berlin by Stadler. In addition, they feature new passenger information systems. They also include a bespoke lighting concept and improved accessibility.

Jure Mikolčić, CEO of Stadler Germany, said:

With the start of passenger service for the J-type trains, the new generation of vehicles is complete with the large-profile network and has now arrived where it was jointly developed by BVG and Stadler: After decades, the large-profile network is being renewed with modern vehicles for all Berliners.

The fact that the vehicles, which are developed and manufactured in Berlin, are now also operating on the large-profile network for passengers is a special moment for all project teams – and an important step for the long-term modernisation of the Berlin U-Bahn.

Separately, the rollout is part of the largest procurement order in BVG’s history. That order covers both J-series and narrower JK-series vehicles.

The current order comprises 484 vehicles in total. It includes 140 JK-series vehicles for lines U1 to U4. Also, almost all of them are already in service on line U2. They entered service there in September 2025.

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