Local Transport Authority Verkehrsverbund Mittelsachsen Acquires Eleven Innovative Battery-Operated Trains
March, 2020 - Germany
A team comprised of members from several offices led by Ulf Christiani and Dr. Isabel Langenbach legally advised Verkehrsverbund Mittelsachsen (VMS) comprehensively on the procurement and financing of eleven battery-operated Coradia Continental trains from Alstom.
The electric trains will be able to operate the Chemnitz to Leipzig route, although the tracks have not yet been electrified. Instead of diesel engines, VMS will be using trains equipped with high-performance batteries on their roofs. The trains can be recharged on the overhead lines available at the Chemnitz and Leipzig terminal stations. The charging time is said to be about half an hour.
The eleven electric railcars will go into operation at the end of 2023 with four pairs of trains scheduled for the line in daily use. Two coupled railcars holding 300 passengers will be available for the route. Since the multiple units are somewhat faster than the current diesel engines, VMS also expects the train schedules to offer better connections in Leipzig.
Counsel to Verkehrsverbund Mittelsachsen
Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek:
Ulf Christiani (Lead),
Dr. Isabel Langenbach (both Public Procurement), both Cologne
Tobias Leege (Finance), Chemnitz
Michael Vetter, LL.M (State Aid / Subsidies), Düsseldorf
