photo: Westbahn/Westbahn receives first double-decker trains KISS 3
The Austrian private operator Westbahn, which provides intercity transportation with open access to infrastructure, has unveiled the new KISS 3 double-deck electric trains supplied by the Swiss company Stadler. The first 10 six-car trains have already been leased to Westbahn, and 15 units have been ordered in total under a 2019 contract worth € 300 million.
The new trains, designed for speeds of up to 200 km / h, have three service classes. KISS 3 trains have 10% more capacity and 2 tons less weight than second generation trains. For the first time in Austria, they are certified under the new simplified rules of the European Railways Agency (ERA).
Regular operation of the KISS 3 trains will begin with the introduction of a new timetable in December 2021. They will operate on the Vienna - Salzburg route, with some flights becoming cross-border - six trains a day will run to Munich and back.
Operator Westbahn previously sold 17 second-hand previous generation KISS double-decker trains to German Railways (DB). Negotiations on the supply of new trains were carried out not only with Stadler, but also with the Chinese corporation CRRC, but the Swiss manufacturer was able to offer the operator more favorable terms for financing the project.
Nevertheless, in early June 2021, CRRC introduced the first double-decker train for the Westbahn operator and intends to certify it in accordance with the European TSI standard. In total, it is planned to build four such trains. CRRC-built trains are expected to enter service in 2023, and Westbahn will lease them.
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