Grand Est CAF bi-mode trains sit at the centre of a €235m order for 16 Régiolis units from CAF, as reported by International Railway Journal. By 2030 these trains are scheduled to take over from the RRR push-pull sets hauled by class BB 22200 locomotives on the Regional Metropolitan Express Service (Serm) between Saverne, Strasbourg and Sélestat.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Grand Est CAF bi-mode trains to renew Serm regional fleet
Photo: CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED/Kevin.B

More capacity from Grand Est CAF bi-mode trains

Under the plan, each six-car train will be 100m long and offer 355 seats, compared with the 265 seats available on the RRR sets currently used on the Saverne – Strasbourg – Sélestat line. At the same time, Grand Est has recently allocated €11.7m to work aimed at extending the service life of its existing RRR fleet.

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Bi-mode flexibility across the Grand Est network

Although the Saverne – Strasbourg – Sélestat line is fully electrified, the region has chosen to procure additional diesel-electric bi-mode trains from CAF for its Grand Est regional network. It has already purchased 15 identical class B 83500 multiple-units, a decision that lowers the initial acquisition cost and is expected to deliver €130m in maintenance savings over a 40-year period. CAF’s broader role in supplying Coradia Polyvalent-based trains for French regions is also covered by Railway Supply.

Reichshoffen plant and Coradia Polyvalent transfer

Choosing bi-mode rolling stock also means the new fleet can operate across the wider Grand Est regional network rather than being confined to electrified routes. Another consideration is the CAF plant responsible for Régiolis production, which is located in Reichshoffen in the Grand Est region.

CAF acquired the Reichshoffen site, the Coradia Polyvalent or Régiolis platform and its order backlog from Alstom in 2022, a divestment detailed in an official press release after the European Commission (EC) required Alstom to sell the Coradia Polyvalent business as a condition for approving the Bombardier Transportation acquisition in 2020.

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