Alstom Transport has been awarded a $206 million contract to supply 29 Coradia Continental electric trains to Verkehrsverbund Mittelsachsen GmbH (VMS) in Central Saxony, Germany, and a servicing contract over a period of 16 years.

The first contract includes purchase options for up to 23 additional trains.
The trains are scheduled to enter commercial service in June 2016 on the Mittelsachsen II electricity network, from Elsterwerda and from Dresden through Chemnitz and Zwickau to Hof.

Coradia Continental, Alstom’s regional train, can circulate at a commercial speed of 99 mph and offers excellent acceleration characteristics, reducing travel time, according to Alstom. The three-car and five-car trainset versions will be able to carry up to 320 and 520 passengers, respectively. Multi-purpose areas provide space for wheelchairs, bicycles and strollers. The traction equipment is located on the roof, allowing spacious interior design including a large corridor for easier movement within the train.

Coradia Continental is equipped with a low floor, and handrails, that facilitate the access on board and circulation of passengers. The trains are equipped in accordance with the latest European crash standards, thereby providing a high degree of safety for the train drivers and passengers.

The trains will be manufactured at Alstom’s site in Salzgitter, Germany.

Meanwhile, Alstom has been awarded three contracts worth a total of $96 million by Empresa de Ferrocarriles del Estado (EFE) to supply and maintain 12 X’Trapolis suburban trains, of which four will run on the new Rancagua Xpress service and eight on the Metro de Valparaíso service.

As part of these contracts, Alstom will provide the integration of signaling equipment and coupling to the eight new trainsets intended for the Metro de Valparaíso service. These trains will thus operate simultaneously with the current fleet of 27 X’Trapolis trains. The trains are scheduled to be delivered in early 2015.

The acquisition of 12 X’Trapolis, which follows an initial order placed in October 2012 for 12 trains, aims to improve the connection between Chile’s capital Santiago and the cities of Nos and Rancagua, and the connection between the cities of Valparaíso and Limache in the Valparaíso region.  

X’Trapolis, an Electric Multiple Unit-type (EMU) train able to run at a maximum speed of 75 mph, is a 2-car train that combines capacity — accommodating more than 370 passengers — comfort and accessibility. Its distributed power allows for more space inside the train with generous interior circulation facilitating movement especially in peak hours. The train is also equipped with modern passenger communication systems, wider seats, and areas designed for people with reduced mobility. X’Trapolis has a 95% recyclability rate and consumes less energy thanks to its light weight, due to its articulated architecture and its aluminum bodyshell, and its electrical braking system.

The trains will be manufactured in Barcelona, Spain.