Deutsche Bahn (DB) and the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) are using new Railjet trains on the Brenner route from Munich to Bologna, which are intended to make travel more comfortable.
Seven of the nine cars have a low-floor entrance, making it easier for passengers with large suitcases, strollers or in wheelchairs to board. The train, which can travel up to 230 km/h and has 532 seats, also has improved WiFi, USB charging options and inductive charging stations, DB and ÖBB announced at the launch in Munich.
ÖBB CEO Andreas Matthä said that the train journey from Munich via Rosenheim, Innsbruck, the Brenner, Bozen, Verona to Bologna would become more attractive. Long-distance transport in particular is growing. “We are therefore consistently investing in our fleet.” A total of 27 new generation Railjets have been ordered, which will be built by Siemens in Vienna. The first set of trains will run from Monday, and as more trains are delivered, the five EuroCity trains that run daily will gradually run with the new vehicles.
DB Group representative for Bavaria, Klaus-Dieter Josel, said: “The number of travelers between Germany and Austria has increased by 50 percent in the past five years.” The Bavarian Transport Minister Christian Bernreiter (CSU) said that “extensive expansion of the railway infrastructure along the entire route” would be necessary in order to be able to speak of a new era in the future.