The first painted car body for the X-Car (X-Wagen) metro trains being built for Wiener Linien has been unveiled at the Siemens Mobity plant at Simmering, Vienna.
This is the first tangible result of the contract for 34 six-car fully automatic metro trains, and the provision of full maintenance services for 24 years, which was awarded to Siemens Mobility in 2017. As part of the contract, Wiener Linien has an option for eleven additional trains.
The trains, which are designed for fully automatic operation as well as for operation by a driver, will be used in automatic mode on the new Line U5, which is currently under construction, and with drivers on Lines U1 to U4. The first complete train is due for delivery in mid-2020.
The air-conditioned trains will have wide gangways and plenty of space, particularly for passengers with pushchairs or extra luggage. Retractable gap-fillers at each of the 18 doors on both sides of the train will provide step-free access for passengers with restricted mobility.
Each 111-metre train will be able to carry up to 928 passengers. The trains have a lightweight construction, with over 90 per cent of the materials being able to be recycled. The use of LED lighting and highly efficient heating and air conditioning systems ensures low energy consumption while the train’s regenerative braking feeds power back into the system.
The trains are the world’s first metro trains that will be equipped with the new FGI Plus passenger information system, which was developed in Vienna. A display above each door will provide passengers with routing directions for their onward journey, including platform position and connection information, before they arrive at the next station.
At the unveiling of the new car body, Vienna City Councillor for Public Transport Ulli Sima said: “The X-Cars are an important investment for climate-friendly mobility in Vienna.
“In fact, environmental protection really begins right in the production hall – the new metro trainsets are constructed with up to 90 percent recyclable materials.”
This is the third fleet for Wiener Linien that Siemens will have supplied. Sabrina Soussan, CEO of the Mobility Division at Siemens, explained when she announced the contract back in 2017: “We’ve enjoyed a long and close partnership with Wiener Linien over the years.
“Following the ‘Silver Arrow’ in 1972 and the ‘V cars’ in 2000, it’s a great success for us to now be able to build the third metro generation for our home location – in Vienna for Vienna.”
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