Regiobahn Fahrbetriebs- gesellschaft mbH

From diesel to battery

Regiobahn & Smart Train Lease

Our flexible rental concepts enable Regiobahn to modernize its fleet in a future-oriented manner and to play a pioneering role in emission-free rail transport in North Rhine-Westphalia. Instead of lengthy procurement processes, we offer fast, tailor-made solutions that are precisely tailored to the needs of regional local transport.

Bird's eye view of railroad tracks crossing a river bridge

Zero emissions thanks to state-of-the-art drive technology

In concrete terms, this means:

Zero emissions: Switching to battery-powered trains significantly reduces CO2 emissions.

Technological progress: Use of state-of-the-art and environmentally friendly drive technologies.

Future viability: An active contribution to climate neutrality and the strengthening of regional local transport.

High availability: Happy rail customer with smartphone in hand

From diesel to battery

With the imminent switch from diesel to modern battery-powered trains, local transport between Remscheid and Düsseldorf will be emission-free from summer 2026. This project is an outstanding example of how we will make an important contribution to fleet modernization and the reduction of the CO2 footprint in regional rail transport through innovative rental concepts.

Partnership for sustainable transport solutions

This project demonstrates Regiobahn’s strong commitment to the green mobility transition and our ability to develop tailor-made solutions that really work. Together, we are making an active contribution to climate neutrality and strengthening regional local transport in North Rhine-Westphalia – quickly, flexibly and future-oriented.

Profile

Vehicle type

Mireo Smart Plus B

Quantity

3 Vehicles

Public Transport Authority (PTA)

VRR

Rental period

July 2026 – December 2031

Route of operation

RE 47 – Düssel-Wupper-Express (Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof – Remscheid-Lennep)

Service Package

Full package with infrastructure in Dortmund

Use cases

Fleet modernization – replacement for existing fleet
Testing of new technologies
Bridging until new tendering of the traffic

Interview with Götz Nink

Managing Director of Regiobahn

What was the initial situation at Regiobahn before you decided to work with Smart Train Lease?

G. Nink: It was clear to Regiobahn that we needed a modern and, above all, reliable vehicle solution for the RE 47 line. The previous diesel-powered Integral vehicles were originally only intended as a temporary solution and increasingly reached the limits of their operational capability. As a result, train operations on the RE 47 could not be maintained stably for a longer period of time, so that the line has been served exclusively by a rail replacement service with buses for the past three years.

At the same time, the line poses special challenges: it is not electrified throughout and electrification is not possible, especially at the listed Müngsten Bridge. A purely catenary-based electrical solution was therefore out of the question.

Together with VRR, we have intensively examined which modern vehicle technologies are suitable for the specific conditions of the RE 47 and how we can offer our passengers stable and comfortable train operation again as quickly as possible.

Smart Train Lease’s innovative leasing offer ultimately proved to be the ideal solution: flexible, technologically suitable and quickly available. This allowed us to pave the way for a future-oriented and operationally reliable RE47. A great benefit for our passengers and the entire region.

What expectations do you have of the performance and flexibility of this rental model?

G. Nink: Against the backdrop of the aging diesel multiple unit train fleets in Germany and the desired drive turnaround, the fast and flexible availability of (battery) electric vehicles is becoming increasingly important. We are also observing that the construction of overhead line systems is being delayed at the Regiobahn. At the same time, the continued operation of old vehicles is neither indefinitely desirable nor possible.

Whereas public transport authorities and RUs have previously had to reckon with lead times of four years or more before new vehicles can be delivered, Smart Train Lease offers a passenger-oriented solution for short-term vehicle requirements. Regular applications for a rental model, such as the Smart Train Lease offer, arise, for example, in bridging vehicle bottlenecks after accidents, during the revision of a vehicle fleet or in the event of additional vehicle requirements as a result of construction work on the infrastructure, for example when more vehicle rotations are required.

What does the future of the cooperation between Regiobahn and Smart Train Lease look like? Are there any plans for further joint projects?

G. Nink: We are already in exchange for other possible projects. As a smaller and flexible utility company with an electrified workshop in Mettmann, we can complement STL’s innovative leasing portfolio very well and offer high-performance mobility solutions. Otherwise, we are looking forward to a successful start of operation of the new vehicles on 1 July.

Similar references

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Smart Train Lease GmbH
E-Mail: contact@smart-train-lease.com