CZ/SK verze

Siemens Produces 180 Viaggio Comfort (ComfortJet) Cars for Czech Railways

Siemens Produces 180 Viaggio Comfort (ComfortJet) Cars for Czech Railways
photo: Siemens Mobility/Siemens Produces 180 Viaggio Comfort (ComfortJet) Cars for Czech Railways
26 / 05 / 2023

The contract for the delivery of 20 comfortable nine-car non-traction units with the highest operating speed of 230 km/h was concluded by the consortium Siemens Mobility – Škoda Group in 2021. The gradual deployment into operation will take place from 2024 to 2026. The contract, worth almost CZK 12.5 billion, allows for the delivery of a total of 182 vehicles. 180 of them are intended for passenger transport of ČD, the remaining two were purchased by the Railway Administration for line testing.

The train units have several innovative features. Passengers will appreciate, for example, window technology allowing easier passage of mobile phone signals into the interior while maintaining the thermal insulation properties of the glass, adjustable seats in first and second class, charging sockets for electric bicycles or wireless charging of mobile phones in first class. As standard, there will be wifi connectivity, an on-board information and reservation system, a children's cinema and storage space for 12 bicycles.

The units will be approved for operation in the Czech Republic and neighbouring European countries (Germany, Poland, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary). The interoperability of the vehicles is ensured by meeting TSI specifications; the control car will be equipped with an onboard ETCS unit as well as national train controllers. In terms of fire protection, the vehicles are also designed for operation in long tunnels.

The ViaggioComfort nine-car non-traction unit will consist of:

  • a Class 1 front-controlled large-capacity car,
  • an embedded Class 1 large-capacity vehicle,
  • an embedded 2nd class restaurant large capacity car,
  • an embedded Class 2 multi-purpose coach for families with children, for persons with reduced mobility and with a service compartment (info point),
  • 4 inset large-capacity Class 2 coaches,
  • a 2nd class end coach with a bicycle compartment,
  • in total, the unit will have 99 seats in the 1st carriage class, 456 seats in the 2nd carriage class, and 18 seats in the restaurant compartment.

Services and comfort on board the non-traction units from the Siemens Mobility - Škoda Group consortium:

  • restaurant section with a modern kitchen for the preparation of hot or cold meals and other refreshments during the journey
  • large air-conditioned interior
  • pressure-tightness of the entire train (important when travelling at higher speeds), protecting passengers from pressure shocks and thus ear candy when passing through tunnels or passing trains, while helping to create a quiet and clean interior in the long term
  • wheelchair accessible, a wide-open clear passage between carriages 
  • between passenger compartments and boarding areas, automatic sliding doors controlled by an infrared sensor
  • push-button operated boarding doors and a selective unlocking system for the boarding doors, which allows the doors to be centrally closed and locked against opening before the train starts and unlocked after the train has stopped on the platform side only

  • ergonomic, reclining seats in first class in a 2+1 configuration with leather upholstery and second class in a 2+2 configuration with fabric upholstery
  • folding tables at the seats behind and fixed tables between the seats in a facing arrangement
  • wireless mobile phone chargers in 1st class
  • 230 V sockets and USB connectors for powering passengers' portable electronics
  • innovative window technology to facilitate the passage of mobile phone signals into the interior while preserving the thermal insulation properties of the glass; retractable sun blinds in the windows
  • WiFi wireless data network for internet connectivity, including an on-board entertainment and information portal 
  • electronic audiovisual information system with LCD monitors and an electronic reservation system
  • wheelchair access for wheelchair users including 3 wheelchair spaces, wheelchair-accessible toilets, electric lifting platforms for wheelchair entry/exit and sockets for recharging electric wheelchair batteries
  • a children's cinema, a folding counter for changing babies, places for storing prams, places for storing 12 bicycles (including sockets for charging electric bicycle batteries) and racks for storing bulky luggage.

Production of the cars is in full swing. It is underway at the Siemens Mobility plants in Vienna, Graz and Munich and at the Škoda Group plant in Ostrava.

The cabinets for 22 vehicles have already been produced at the Siemens Mobility plant in Vienna and the interior fittings and interiors for nine vehicles are being assembled at the Škoda Group plant in Ostrava. In Graz (Graz, Styria), production of chassis is underway at the Siemens Mobility plant. The control cars, which are the most complex part of the entire non-traction unit, are already in production. The cab and control systems are being assembled at the SiemensMobility plant in Munich, which specialises in locomotive production and is also producing Vectron locomotives, including those ordered by ČD.

Production Vienna

  • Bottom of the car - 25 pieces 
  • Rough structure - 22 pcs 

Production Munich

  • Final assembly of the control car - 1 piece

Production Ostrava

  • Final assembly - 9 pcs

Source: Siemens Mobility

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