Denmark: The first vehicle of domestic passenger operator DSB’s Talgo 230 fleet for long-distance and international Eurocity services was unveiled in Kobenhavn on 25 January.
DSB CEO Flemming Jensen said: “The arrival of the first passenger car is a milestone in the most extensive transformation of DSB’s rail fleet to date.”
“Over the next few years, aging, mainly diesel-powered trains will be replaced by modern, more climate-friendly electric trains. We will offer an attractive product and at the same time build a consistent public transport system in Denmark and abroad.”
Testing and approval procedures will begin in preparation for the start of passenger service this fall.
The Thalgo train set will be used on services from Köbenhavn and Aarhus to Hamburg, and potentially on other international and domestic routes.
international experience
The EUR 500 million framework agreement signed by DSB and Talgo in February 2020 included a EUR 134 million firm order for the first eight trains.
As demand for international rail travel increases, DSB has placed a second order for additional coaches in April 2021 to extend its fleet by 10% and increase seating capacity from 442 to 492 seats.
In April 2023, DSB confirmed a tertiary order for an additional eight trainsets and 16 operating vehicles, to be delivered in 2026-2027, for EUR 184 million.
The design leverages Talgo’s global experience and features independently rotating wheels and passive tilt. The vehicles are shorter but wider than traditional passenger cars, allowing for more interior space and higher levels of comfort while maintaining technical interoperability.
The DSB is a train similar to the ECx set that Talgo is supplying to Germany’s Deutsche Bahn under a 2019 framework contract for up to 100 similar train sets. A total of 79 aircraft have been ordered to date, with the first aircraft currently undergoing certification ahead of use in Berlin-Amsterdam and domestic services.
“It was important to us to obtain a train type that is also supplied to other operators to minimize the need for adjustments,” Jensen said. “It is also an advantage for us at DSB to be able to leverage their experience.”
The design speed of the DSB train set is 230 km/h and the operating speed is 200 km/h.
These will be operated by Siemens Mobility Vectron electric locomotives. In the second phase, Talgo driving trailers will be added to each set to enable push-pull operation, reducing journey times at each end of the route while minimizing train weight.
Talgo said the use of locomotive-hauled coaches has provided flexibility and has increased the total number of coaches delivered by 15% since the order was placed, with little impact on deployment plans. Train formations could be “easily and cheaply” upgraded to run at 300km/h, as Spain’s RENFE is currently doing.
| DSB Talgo 230 coach type | |
|---|---|
| flex space | 36 seats and space for charging strollers, bicycles and e-bikes |
| PRM | 3 wheelchair spaces, 1 barrier-free toilet, 10 regular seats, 1 vending machine |
| second class | 32 seats or 40 seats |
| first class | 2+1 seats) 22 or 28 seats |
| private car | Will be added later |