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Railway Sven @railwaysven.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Agree, they really do look great Here are few more images

Three-quarter view of an ÖBB 4750 "Flirt Akku" at the Stadler IBS in Erlen

View of an end car of an ÖBB 4750 "Flirt Akku" at Stadler IBS in Erlen

Front three-quarter view of an ÖBB 4750 "Flirt Akku" at the Stadler IBS in Erlen

Railway Sven @railwaysven.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Yes, they're definitely not cheap trains

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Railway Sven @railwaysven.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

That would be possible, yes. However, I'm not sure what their exact plans are at the moment. Starting in the summer of 2028, there will be a direct train from Oslo to Berlin via Copenhagen. This will be operated by ICE L units, since the Flirt NEX is too wide for the loading gauge in mainland Europe

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Railway Sven @railwaysven.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

I don't think it includes maintenance, but I could be wrong. I based my estimate on a total price of 10 billion NOK, which was mentioned in the following Norske Tog presentation from May. It seems the project has gotten more expensive since the contract was signed in early 2023 youtu.be/rhEE0gpyDF0

Screenshot of the project introduction slide from the Norske Tog presentation about the new Class 79 trainsets

Railway Sven @railwaysven.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Yes, it does indeed look very promising. In case you haven't seen it yet, there's a great YouTube video where two Norske Tog employees showcase the train in detail youtu.be/rhEE0gpyDF0

youtu.be

Presentation of new Long distance trains for Norway Norske tog 20260429 Back-on-Track webinar

YouTube video by Back-on-Track Europe

Railway Sven @railwaysven.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Here are the key technical specs: - Top speed: 200 km/h - Power: 4,000 kW (6,400 kW max) - Tractive effort: 320 kN - Starting acceleration: 0.62 m/s² - Loading gauge: NO1 SEa - Length: 220,000 mm - Width: 3,200 mm - Height: 4,362 mm - Tare weight: 453 t

Telephoto front three-quarter view of a Norske Tog Class 79 N13 in Rorschach

Side three-quarter view of a Norske Tog Class 79 N13 in Rorschach

Telephoto front view of a Norske Tog Class 79 N13 in Rorschach

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Railway Sven @railwaysven.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

A few more shots of the Stadler Flirt NEX for Norske Tog in better lighting. This time it was also powered on

Three-quarter view of a Norske Tog Class 79 N13 in Rorschach

Top down head-on shot of a Norske Tog Class 79 N13 in Rorschach

Front three-quarter close-up of a Norske Tog Class 79 N13 in Rorschach

Side view of an end car of a Norske Tog Class 79 N13 in Rorschach

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All this customization comes at a cost. At €53.5 million per vehicle, these Flirt NEX are among the most expensive trainsets ever procured in Europe. But in return, Norske Tog gets a highly versatile train ready for future needs, like a planned Oslo to Copenhagen service

Top down three-quarter view of the front of a Norske Tog Class 79 N13 in Rorschach

Close-up side view of the connection of two cars of a Norske Tog Class 79 N13 in Rorschach

Telephoto three-quarter front view of a Norske Tog Class 79 N13 in Rorschach

Three quarter side-view of an end car of a Norske Tog Class 79 N13 in Rorschach

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You can actually see and experience the very first completed unit soon. It makes its first public appearance at this year's InnoTrans in September. This first unit is the Type D (N13) variant, which features a dedicated cargo car alongside the daytime configuration

Side view of the cargo car of a Norske Tog Class 79 N13 in Rorschach

View of the cargo car of a Norske Tog Class 79 N13 in Rorschach through some bushes

Side view of a regular and a cargo car of a Norske Tog Class 79 N13 in Rorschach

Close-up of the PRM accessible door of a Norske Tog Class 79 N13 in Rorschach

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Since the new Class 79 operates on routes with very different requirements, it needs to be highly versatile and will come in 4 distinct versions: - Type A (N10): EMU day & night - Type B (N11): BMU day & night - Type C (N12): EMU day only - Type D (N13): EMU day only/cargo

Graphic explaining the four different variants of the Norske Tog Class 79

Graphic source: https://youtu.be/rhEE0gpyDF0

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In 2023, Norske Tog & Stadler signed a framework contract for 100 110m 4-car trainsets. However, Norske Tog has so far only opted for 220m 8-car units. Thus, out of the 100 framework sets, 34 are already ordered, leaving 66 short or 33 long units available to order

Telephoto top down view of the front of a Norske Tog Class 79 in Rorschach

Telephoto view of a motorized bogie on an end car of a Norske Tog Class 79 N13 in Rorschach

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Railway Sven @railwaysven.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

The first of 17 new Stadler Flirt NEX trainsets for Norske Tog is finally complete. Designated as Class 79, these units will enter revenue service on the Bergen Line starting in 2028. Later, they will expand to the Dovre, Sørland, and Nordland Lines. A short thread 👇🧵

Three-quarter front view of a Norske Tog Class 79 N13 in Rorschach

Three-quarter top down side view of a Norske Tog Class 79 N13 in Rorschach

Three-quarter close-up view of the front of a Norske Tog Class 79 N13 at Rorschach

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The first series battery EMUs for ÖBB are approaching In 2023, ÖBB and Stadler signed a contract for up to 120 3-car Flirt Akku BEMUs, designated ÖBB Class 4750. With 23 units ordered, they debut on the Kamptal Railway in 2028, then on Lower Austria's other non-electrified lines

Top down front three-quarter view of an ÖBB Class 4750 "Flirt Akku" at the Stadler IBS in Erlen

Side-view of an ÖBB Class 4750 "Flirt Akku" at the Stadler IBS in Erlen

Wide-angle overview shot of the Stadler IBS site in Erlen. On the left is an ÖBB Class 4750 "Flirt Akku" and on the right an ÖBB Class 4734 "Cityjet Kiss"

Front three-quarter view of an ÖBB Class 4750 "Flirt Akku" next to an SBB Flirt Evo at the Stadler IBS in Erlen

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Railway Sven @railwaysven.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Now on the S26 (Winterthur-Rüti ZH) Since July 6, two RABe 533 "Flirt Evo" units are in regular service on the S26, with 6 more joining by the December timetable change. Next year, Thurbo rolls out the 3-car version on the S9 (Wil-Wattwil) and S10 (Wil-Weinfelden-Romanshorn)

Three-quarter view of the Thurbo RABe 533 503 "Flirt Evo" at the station in Rüti ZH

Low angle three-quarter front view of the Thurbo RABe 533 503 "Flirt Evo" at the station in Rüti ZH

Telephoto view of the Thurbo RABe 533 501 "Flirt Evo" departing Tann-Dürnten in the direction of Rüti ZH

Overview of the 2nd class cabin inside the Thurbo RABe 533 503 "Flirt Evo"

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Railway Sven @railwaysven.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

Apart from vehicle 61, which is completed, at least two more lighTram 25DC buses for Bernmobil are in final assembly. Those buses will probably take a few more weeks until they're ready for delivery. The whole fleet of 13 vehicles should be delivered by the end of the year

Front view of a Hess lighTram 25DC for Bernmobil in final assembly at the Hess factory in Bellach

Rear three-quarter view of a Hess lighTram 25DC for Bernmobil in final assembly at the Hess factory in Bellach

Top down view of the rear of a Hess lighTram 25DC for Bernmobil in final assembly at the Hess factory in Bellach

Cockpit of a Hess lighTram 25DC for Bernmobil in final assembly at the Hess factory in Bellach

Railway Sven @railwaysven.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

And it's finished. The first lighTram 25DC for Bernmobil is ready for delivery. Since line 10 only has ~40% overhead wires, it has changes from the standard version, it uses two battery packs instead of one (113.2 kWh in total) and charging is upgraded to 350 kW, up from 200 kW

Front three-quarter view of a Hess lighTram 25DC for Bernmobil in front the Hess factory in Bellach

Close-up front three-quarter view of a Hess lighTram 25DC for Bernmobil in front the Hess factory in Bellach

Telephoto front three-quarter view of a Hess lighTram 25DC for Bernmobil in front the Hess factory in Bellach

Rear three-quarter view of a Hess lighTram 25DC for Bernmobil in front the Hess factory in Bellach

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Railway Sven @railwaysven.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

Wait, what is that? An Re 465 in a brand new livery? Yup! Stadler recently bought two Re 465 from BLS, mainly for Swiss delivery runs, for that they also equipped them with a new Schaku Type 10-based coupler. Additionally, BLS recently sold three more Re 465 locomotives to Makies

Telephoto three-quarter view of the Re 465 011 at the Stadler IBS in Erlen

Side view of the Stadler Re 465 011 at the Stadler IBS in Erlen

Three-quarter view from across the railway tracks of the Stadler Re 465 011 at the Stadler IBS in Erlen

Telephoto view of the Stadler Re 465 001 in front of a SRDe 313 meter gauge DEMU for Ferrovie Appulo Lucane at the Stadler IBS in Erlen. The Re 465 001 is currently lacking the blue Stadler decals on the side of the locomotive, so it's pure white at the moment

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Railway Sven @railwaysven.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Little brother & big brother The SBB Flirt Evo and new ÖBB Kiss are the latest platform iterations. New roof-mounted traction converters are a key improvement, freeing up much valued interior passenger space. Both have AngleStar's Guardia ETCS system & modern Ethernet-based TCN

Three-quarter view of an SBB RABe 532 "Flirt Evo France" next to an ÖBB 4734 "Cityjet Kiss" in front of the Stadler IBS in Erlen

Side view of an SBB RABe 532 "Flirt Evo France" (front left) and an ÖBB 4734 "Cityjet Kiss" (back left) parked next to a Thrubo RABe 531 "Flirt Evo" (right) in front of the Stadler IBS in Erlen. Behind the three EMUs is also an SBB RABe 512 "IR-Dosto"

Front three-quarter view of an SBB RABe 532 "Flirt Evo France" next to an ÖBB 4734 "Cityjet Kiss" in front of the Stadler IBS in Erlen

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Railway Sven @railwaysven.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

Interior updates include new seat upholstery, LED lighting, and side-table power sockets. 1st class compartments replace the old glass with a wood decor. Color LCD passenger information screens replace the old dot matrix panels. The onboard restaurant also gets a totally new look

Overview of the 2nd class cabin inside a refurbished RABDe 500 "ICN"

Close-up of three 1st class seats inside a refurbished RABDe 500 "ICN"

Wide-angle overview of a bay of six compartment inside the 1st class cabin of a refurbished RABDe 500 "ICN"

Overview of the onboard restaurant inside a refurbished RABDe 500 "ICN"

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Railway Sven @railwaysven.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

SBB is currently refurbishing its entire 44-unit RABDe 500 "ICN" fleet by 2031 for ~500 Mio CHF. 2 completed units are in revenue service. The new livery features new red doors, a completely white lower front (akin to the 4-car prototype from 1998), and a 3D SBB logo on the front

Front three-quarter view of a refurbished RABDe 500 "ICN" at Zurich main station

Three-quarter view of a refurbished RABDe 500 "ICN" at Zurich main station

Overview of the 1st class cabin inside a refurbished RABDe 500 "ICN"

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Railway Sven @railwaysven.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

Under the hood, the RABe 532 has some key technical upgrades over the standard RABe 533 that allow it to operate in France: 25 kV 50 Hz capability (plus 15 kV 16.7 Hz), support for STM-KVB signaling (alongside ETCS Baseline 4, SRS 4.0.0), and side-view cameras on every car

Front side three-quarter view of the RABe 532 201 at the Stadler IBS in Erlen

Front three-quarter view of the RABe 532 202 (left) next to the RABe 532 201 (right) at the Stadler IBS in Erlen

Side view of two cars of the RABe 532 201 at the Stadler IBS in Erlen

Close-up of the articulated connection with a Jacobs bogie between two cars of the RABe 532 201 at the Stadler IBS in Erlen. Also visible is a white side-view camera at the end of the right car

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Railway Sven @railwaysven.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

The first two RABe 532 "Flirt Evo France" are ready for testing Visually, the most notable change is the blue Fluo decal on both end cars. SBB ordered 33 units to run the S2 (Olten - Basel - Mulhouse) & S4 (Laufen - Basel - St. Louis) every 30 mins from Dec 2030

Blue Fluo decal on an end car of the RABe 532 201 at the Stadler IBS in Erlen

Three-quarter view of the RABe 532 202 (left) and RABe 532 201 (right) at the Stadler IBS in Erlen

Side view of the RABe 532 202 (left) and RABe 532 201 (right) parked next to each other at the Stadler IBS in Erlen

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The total costs for the infrastructure are 19.3 million CHF (15.5 Mio CHF for the electrification, 1.5 Mio CHF for a new turning loop and 2.3 Mio CHF to adapt the stops for the new longer bus and make them barrier-free) and ~22 million CHF for the 13 buses

Front three-quarter view of a Hess lighTram 25DC for Bernmobil

Side front view of a Hess lighTram 25DC for Bernmobil

Rear three-quarter view of a Hess lighTram 25DC for Bernmobil

Telephoto shot of the rear of a Hess lighTram 25DC for Bernmobil

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The new lighTram 25DC for Bernmobil will feature red Kiel Citos leather seats. Gauzy's "Smart Vision" system replaces the traditional rear-view mirrors. To comply with GSR 2 regulations, they include Mobileye's Fisheye ADAS. For energy efficiency, the buses have CO2 heat pumps

Red Kiel Citos leather seats inside a Hess lighTram 25DC for Bernmobil

Gauzy Smart Vision camera on a Hess lighTram 25DC for Bernmobil

Front moving off information system (MOIS) camera of the Mobileye Fisheye ADAS

HVAC unit on the roof of a Hess lighTram 25DC for Bernmobil

Bernmobil is installing ~3 km of new overhead wires between Monbijou and Brühlplatz, making up for ~40% of the line. On the rest 60% of the line the buses run on battery power. The new infrastructure and vehicles are scheduled to go into service at the end of this year

Overview of the construction work along the line 10

Image source: https://www.bernmobil.ch/sites/default/files/2025-06/Informationsflyer%2520Buslinie%252010%2520Baustart%252020250625%2520Web.pdf

The Hess lighTram 25DC for Bernmobil feature two permanent magnet synchronous motors, one on axle two and one on axle three. There are two 56.6 kWh LTO battery packs installed, resulting in a total capacity of 113.2 kWh. They charge with up to 350 kW from the overhead wires

Close-up of the specs stickers of a battery pack of a Hess lighTram 25DC for Bernmobil

Close-up of the specs stickers of a Stadler CGS unit of a Hess lighTram 25DC for Bernmobil

In early 2024 Bernmobil ordered 13 new bi-articulated battery trolley buses from Hess. Compared to the existing articulated Diesel buses, the new bi-articulated buses have ~30% higher capacity, providing much-needed space without increasing the already tight frequency

Front three-quarter close-up of a Hess lighTram 25DC for Bernmobil

Telephoto shot of the front of a Hess lighTram 25DC for Bernmobil

A Hess lighTram 25DC for Bernmobil in final assembly parked in front of the Hess plant in Bellach

Side view of a Hess lighTram 25DC for Bernmobil

With 16.58 million passengers in the year 2024 the bus line 10 in Bern is one of the busiest bus lines in Switzerland. During rush hour, buses already run every 2.5 minutes, so deploying additional buses isn't possible. Therefore the buses need to get bigger A thread 🧵👇

A lighTram 25DC for Bernmobil in front of the Hess plant in Bellach

Front view of a Hess lighTram 25DC for Bernmobil

Rear view of a Hess lighTram 25DC for Bernmobil

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The 21 units are being built at Alstom’s Savigliano plant. So far, STA has received only 4 units. With the goal of service entry by year-end, it’s going to be a tight race to get enough ETR 160s delivered and ready. It will be a nice capacity and comfort upgrade for the region

Front three-quarter view of an ETR 160 in Mals

Ground level close-up front three-quarter view of an ETR 160 in Mals

Ground level wide angle head-on shot of an ETR 160 in Mals

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The single-class interior uses the Kiel "Match G2" seats in a 2+2 layout. You will find a good mix of airline-style seating and bays of four. Each seat has a reading light and armrests, with one power socket per double seat. The seating comfort is decent for a regional train

Seats on top of a Jacobs bogie inside an ETR 160

Power socket between two seats inside an ETR 160

Close-up of a Kiel Match G2 headrest with a reading light attached to it

Inside, it's a fairly standard modern regional EMU with step-free access at 550mm platform heights. It features a spacious interior with PRM toilets, multifunctional spaces for bikes/luggage, onboard WiFi, LED lighting and a state-of-the-art passenger info system

Doors and entrance area inside an ETR 160

Multifunctional area with fold down seats inside an ETR 160

High floor connection between two cars inside an ETR 160

Here are the key specs: - Top speed: 160 km/h - Power: 2,400 kW (3,050 kW max) - Tractive effort: 273 kN - Wheel arrangement: Bo'2'2'Bo'+2'2'2'Bo - Loading gauge: EN 15273 G1 - Length: 127.9 m - Weight (tare/gross): 228/281 t - Capacity: 381 seats / 403 standing

Front view of an ETR 160 in Mals next to an information poster about the 20th anniversary of the Vinschgau railway

Close-up of a Jacobs bogie of an ETR 160

Loading gauge indicator sticker on the side of an ETR 160

Interoperability is key. The ETR 160 can operate under 3kV DC (legacy Italy), 15kV 16.7Hz AC (Austria), and 25kV 50Hz AC (new Italian lines). It supports SCMT, PZB, and ETCS Baseline 3 Release 2 (SRS 3.6.0). It’s even ready for the Brenner Base Tunnel once it opens in 2032

Side view of a motorized bogie of an ETR 160

Ground level side view of the two last cars of an ETR 160

Side view of the front cabin with the rear view camera and the driver's cab door

The ETR 160 is clearly a Coradia Stream family member, sharing design DNA with other family members such as the ETR 103/104 "Pop." The livery is an evolution of South Tyrol’s iconic identity: a silver base with vibrant and colorful, full-height stripes as accents

Telephoto front three-quarter view of an ETR 160 in Mals

Close-up of a middle car of an ETR 160 in Mals

STA renegotiated with Alstom in 2022, choosing 8 Coradia Stream EMUs. They later added 7 more, plus 6 units with ÖBB/Tyrol for the cross-border Brenner route, bringing the total to 21 trains. The 6 cross-border units will feature a slightly different livery with a red front

Members of STA (South Tyrol) and VVT (Tyrol) presenting visualization of the new trains (left lime green STA version) (right red VVT version) on the Brenner

Image credit: https://www.sta.bz.it/de/news/2023-06-05-grenzueberschreitenden-zugverkehr/

By 2021, ÖBB canceled their contract for 46 Talent 3 units. That same year, Alstom bought Bombardier and, for regulatory reasons, had to sell the Talent 3 platform to CAF. With the platform changing hands and facing technical hurdles, it was no longer an option for South Tyrol

Getting here wasn't easy. Originally, STA ordered 7 Talent 3 EMUs from Bombardier in 2018 (alongside 6 units for the Austrian state of Tyrol for cross-border use). However, the Talent 3 platform development didn't go smoothly and was plagued by various issues and delays

A visualization of the Talent 3 for South Tyrol

Screenshot from the following STA YouTube video: https://youtu.be/8QXSKdXa3Cw?is=awwe485md8JU6UV_

A visualization of the interior of the Talent 3 for South Tyrol

Screenshot from the following STA YouTube video: https://youtu.be/8QXSKdXa3Cw?is=awwe485md8JU6UV_

The wait is almost over. This year, the first ETR 160 "Coradia Stream" will finally go into regular revenue service in South Tyrol. First on the newly electrified line between Mals and Meran, and from Dec 2026 over the Brenner into Innsbruck. Here's what you need to know 🧵👇

Head-on shot of an ETR 160 at Mals during the public presentation of the new EMU

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Ja, 2 h 20 min stimmt doch. 2 h 1 min dauert's von Basel Bad Bf nach Romanshorn. Hab die Zeiten irgendwie vertauscht

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Wenn man von St. Gallen nach Basel Bad Bf muss, ist man dann sogar schneller als mit der Verbindung über Zürich, die momentan 2 h 10 min braucht

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St. Gallen - Basel Bad Bf wird 2 h 1 min dauern mit der neuen Verbindung *Hatte es falsch in Erinnerung

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GA, Halbtax, Tageskarten, etc. werden auf der gesamten Verbindung gültig sein