New trains financed by the EU ease congestion and reduce delays for rail commuters in Munich

Like two-thirds of all regional train passengers in Bavaria, Christine often takes the Munich S-Bahn. The journey from her home in Pasing, just 10 km from Marienplatz in the city centre, however, can be unpredictable. “It’s very crowded and there are a lot of delays,” she says. “Normally it should only take 20 to 25 minutes, but sometimes it can take me up to an hour.”

Christine is not alone. Across Germany almost one in three rail passengers reached their destination with a delay of 15 minutes or more in 2022. The S-Bahn Munich rail network is prone to delays, because every S-Bahn train entering or leaving central Munich has to pass through a single trunk line, the Stammstrecke, one of the busiest in all Europe. This leaves the network susceptible to bottlenecks and delays. A new generation of trains promises some quick improvements.

“More comfortable and reliable trains will help convince people living on the outskirts of Munich to leave their cars at home and take the train,” says Alexander Gerum, Project Manager S-Bahn Munich, at Bayerische Eisenbahngesellschaft, which plans, finances and manages regional passenger rail transport in Bavaria.

Acquired through an innovative €2 billion leasing arrangement financed by the European Investment Bank and UniCredit with a guarantee from the Free State of Bavaria, the new 200-metre-long trains, which are the same length as Germany’s high capacity InterCity trains, will be the longest regional trains in the country. Highly energy efficient, the 90 new electric trains, built by Siemens Mobility, will feature extra-wide doors for easy and faster access and an LED information strip running the length of the train. The trains also provide information to the passengers about the occupancy of each carriage and where along the train they should head for more space.

The €2 billion financing by the European Investment Bank, which is owned by the 27 EU member states, is just one of many investments in Germany by the European Union’s financing arm. Last year, we invested €8.63 billion in Germany, which is equal to 0.21% of the country’s gross domestic product.

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