Alpha Trains and VIAS Rail signed leasing agreement for 14 FLIRT EMUs

On 12 June 2025, Alpha Trains and VIAS Rail GmbH (VIAS), a subsidiary of the RATH Group, have signed a leasing agreement for 14 five-car Stadler FLIRT 1 EMUs. Starting in December 2026, these trains will operate on the Emscher Express Network (ENE), which was tendered by the transport authorities Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR) and Nahverkehr Westfalen-Lippe (NWL). Both the transport contract and the leasing agreement will run until December 2030.

To offer passengers a modern and comfortable travel experience at the start of the new concession, the trains will be redesigned before being put into operation, which will include intensive cleaning, new upholstery for the passenger seats, and replacement of interior fittings. Some outdated technical components will also be replaced to ensure the vehicles can continue to be used reliably in the future.

The new operator, VIAS, will operate the FLIRTs on the RE 3 line, the Rhine-Emscher Express, which runs from Düsseldorf via Duisburg, Oberhausen, Gelsenkirchen, and Dortmund to Hamm - a route already served by these trains today. In the future, they will also be used on the RE 41 line, the Vest-Ruhr-Express, which is currently still operated by DB Regio and runs from Bochum via Recklinghausen to Haltern am See. On both lines, the trains will offer significantly more seating capacity than before and ensure a high level of comfort and customer satisfaction.

Using the FLIRTs on both the existing RE 3 Line and the new RE 41 Line will enable efficient utilisation of the fleet. Bernhard Holzer, Managing Director of Alpha Trains Europa, says: “We are delighted that our reliable FLIRT 1 trains will remain a key part of local transport in North Rhine-Westphalia. By choosing to continue operating and modernising existing vehicles, we - together with our partner VIAS - are making a valuable contribution to sustainable and cost-effective mobility in regional rail transport."