RE9 Classic

Soon, a process could begin, at the end of which the days of class 111 locomotives hauling double-decker cars on the RE9 line (Aachen-Siegen) might be numbered. If all goes according to plan, of course. That would be new.

As you may know, the trains here will be replaced by single-decker EMUs, type Talent 2 (class 442). They should have been running here since last december, but they don't have official approval yet. Bombardier, the manufacturer, blames that on german approval procedures, but given that other companies managed to get their trains approved and that several Talent 2 trains have already been scrapped, prior to ever seeing service, one might just start to believe that maybe there is a problem with the trains.

But there is hope! The sub-series dedicated to the Nuremberg S-Bahn system has gained approval with major restrictions - so major that DB has refused to take delivery of the trains. Now Bombardier has managed to get rid of the first restriction, and the trains can operate in double. The next major restrictions is the top speed. Once Bombardier has cleared that and some related to maintenance, the trains can run in Nuremberg, and then it is only a matter of time before the trains for this line, as well as the >100 trains for other lines, get to go through the same procedure as well. In case you're wondering: No, I don't think they'll be up and running by december 2011.