Starting this week, the first of 16 used trains from Hanover will strengthen the Munich S-Bahn fleet. They should actually have been delivered in 2022. But because the train type ET 424 If there were toilets, they first had to be expanded. The trains were also spruced up inside and out. For technical reasons, the trains cannot travel in the main line tunnel; the necessary control and safety technology for the particularly dense train sequence there is missing. That’s why they operate shuttle trips between Dachau and Altomünster on the S2 line, amplifier trips to the above-ground part of Munich Central Station on the S4 and the Geltendorf-Pasing-Höllriegelskreuth route on the S20.
The additional trains are needed for the 20-minute service, which has also been in effect on the outer branches since December 2022. With the “Munich” type trains becoming available ET 423 Deutsche Bahn can increase the offer on the lines that run through the main route.
The Free State of Bavaria is contributing around 32 million euros to the procurement and modernization. From the end of the 2020s, completely new, 200 meter long trains will replace the old models. However, because many platforms are shorter than 200 meters, old trains continue to be used on certain lines.