Alstom equips S-Bahn Hamburg's Class 490s for digital operation

On 10 April 2025, Alstom has signed a contract with S-Bahn Hamburg for a technology upgrade of 82 Class 490 S-Bahn EMUs with the ETCS OBUs and ATO for semi-automatic train operation with GoA2. The contract worth exceeds 60 million EUR.

Alstom will equip four prototype units with ETCS Onvia units and ATO technology by 2029 and re-homologate them. This work will be carried out at Alstom's Hennigsdorf location. The contract also includes the delivery of the technical equipment for the retrofit of the remaining 78 trains. Additionally, Alstom will support the serial retrofitting process, which will be carried out by Deutsche Bahn.

The 82 S-Bahn EMUs are part of the first batch of Class 490 units ordered in 2013. Sixty-four of them from the second batch are from the start equipped with ETCS and ATO in the factory. In the future, the entire Class 490 fleet of the Hamburg S-Bahn will be ready for digital rail operations.

In Germany, Alstom is also equipping 215 S-Bahn trains and 118 regional trains with ETCS and ATO for the Digital Node Stuttgart project.