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Maximilian Gerl, Augsburg
Rail travelers have been able to take a look at one of the consequences of the December timetable change. On several routes around Augsburg, the red Fugger Express of DB Regio will no longer roll as before – but the white and blue trains from Go-Ahead, which the company presented last week, will then run. Accordingly, the future railway fleet in Swabia will comprise 44 single-deck Mireos railcars and twelve double-deck Desiro HC railcars. Fabian Amini, Managing Director of Go-Ahead Bayern, is quoted as saying in a statement that they are looking forward to the start. “At the same time, it is also a great challenge for all of us to get rail traffic up and running on so many routes from one day to the next. So I ask for your indulgence and patience if something doesn’t work at first.”
Commuters have often had to bring patience with them in the past. In the punctuality ranking of the Bavarian Railway Company (BEG) – which orders and controls regional rail transport on behalf of the Free State – the Fugger-Express 2021 performed below average. In terms of service quality, too, it was only enough for 18th place out of 31. In the future, more seating capacity will relieve rush-hour traffic on the heavily frequented route from Augsburg to Munich. The seat spacing has also been measured more generously, according to Go-Ahead. Lift lifts and fold-out ramps are designed to help wheelchair users get in and out. The possibility of dialing into the on-board WLAN with a smartphone and laptop is expected for the current year 2023: the Free State has subsequently commissioned this function.
Travelers could soon see other unusual trains on the routes from Augsburg to Peißenberg, Kaufering and Füssen. Hydrogen trains are expected to run here on a test basis from the middle of next year and take over journeys from the Bavarian Regiobahn. “Use in the Free State with its many winding and sloping routes places special demands on the trains,” the BEG also announced last week. A test operation south of Augsburg is predestined.