The bi-modal Bombardier vehicles that will provide rail service in the Saar region along the French/German border are now being tested on the tracks of the German Railways.
Taking a leaf from the breakthrough track sharing program pioneered in the Karlsruhe region, which has cut commuting time and increased ridership, the bi-modal Saarbruecken network will provide seamless, transferless service for commuters in the metro region of the state capital.
The low floor railcars will operate on existing intercity national rail lines with 15kV AC current and switch to 750 volt DC when passing onto the tracks of the municipal light rail system. Transit time will be cut dramatically, as in Karlsruhe, because commuters will no longer have to transfer between the two modes.
The last of the 15 railcars in the initial order, which includes an option for 13 more, are being delivered. Each of the railcars has a capacity of 243 passengers and comes equipped with retracting steps and automatic ramps to accommodate the different platform heights of the intercity and municipal stops.
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