Alstom Wins €60m Contract to Digitally Upgrade S-Bahn Hamburg Trains

Alstom has secured a €60 million ($66.5 million) contract from S-Bahn Hamburg to enhance the digital capabilities of 82 BR 490 S-Bahn trains. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

This initiative is part of a larger effort to ready the entire fleet for digital rail operations in Hamburg by 2029.

Upgrade to ETCS and ATO Technology by Alstom

The project will focus on retrofitting four prototype trains with European Train Control System (ETCS) Onvia units and Automated Train Operation (ATO) technology.

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This upgrade aims to enable semi-automatic operations with a GoA2 level of automation, enhancing efficiency and safety.

Work on the prototype trains will be completed at Alstom’s Hennigsdorf facility. The Onvia Cab system, designed for both new and retrofitted trains, meets the latest TSI 2023 standard at Baseline 3 level. This ensures that the upgraded trains are fully compliant with European digital rail standards.

Jan Schroder, chairman of the S-Bahn Hamburg management board, commented, “The full digitalisation of S-Bahn Hamburg sets new standards for the future of rail.

We are proud to partner with Alstom on retrofitting the final 82 vehicles.” The contract also includes the provision of necessary technical equipment for retrofitting the remaining 78 trains.

Alstom’s Contribution to Green Rail Mobility

Alstom will support Deutsche Bahn with the serial retrofitting process of these vehicles. The 82 trains involved in this project were part of an initial 2013 order, while 64 trains from a later order are already equipped with ETCS and ATO from the factory.

Tim Dawidowsky, president of Alstom Central and Northern Europe, highlighted the role of digitalisation and automation in creating more sustainable rail systems.

“This technology enables shorter headways, higher passenger capacity, and reduced energy consumption, driving both climate protection and the shift towards greener rail mobility,” he stated.

In addition to the S-Bahn Hamburg project, Alstom is also upgrading 215 S-Bahn trains and 118 regional trains with ETCS and ATO as part of the Digital Node Stuttgart project.

Furthermore, Alstom recently announced a €150 million ($164.4 million) investment to expand its production facilities in France, responding to growing demand for its Avelia high-speed train platform.

Source: www.railway-technology.com

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