First BEMUs in regular service in Sachsen
posted on 3rd Feb 2026 11:05
On 2 February 2026, the three-car Coradia Continental BEMUs of Class 1440.4 were used for the first time on the RE 6 (Regional Express) Chemnitz - Leipzig line, specifically one pair of units running in multiple. Initially, only one set with a capacity of 300 seats will operate here, which means that only every fourth run is covered be BEMUs, and the rest is still provided by a rake consisting of double-deck cars and a Eurorunner locomotive.
There are daily 19 train pairs on RE 6 in a clockface timetable, with the journey time of 1 h 2 minutes from Chemnitz and of 1 h 4 minutes from Leipzig (except of morning trains with 1 h 4 minutes and 1 h 6 minutes journey times). However, thanks to the ongoing deliveries of the 1440.4s from Alstom, all 11 BEMUs are to be in operation by mid-June 2026, which will completely replace the diesel trains with cars from the 1990s.
The RE 6 is operated by MRB (Mitteldeutsche Regiobahn, part of the Transdev group), this on the basis of a contract from the ZVMS (Zweckverband Verkehrsverbund Mittelsachsen) and ZVNL (Zweckverband für den Nahverkehrsraum Leipzig). The Class 1440.4 units, worth approximately 70 million EUR, are financed by VMS (Verkehrsverbund Mittelsachsen) and ZVNL, and are owned by VMS.
The BEMUs were supposed to start operating on the RE 6 in December 2023, but there were delays in deliveries and approvals. On 6 October 2025, VMS took delivery of the first vehicle for staff training. On 6 November, an evacuation exercise with firefighters, police and rescue services took place. On 25 November, the second BEMU was taken over by VMS. Type approval from the ERA was granted on 10 December 2025. On 21 January 2026, VMS took over three more units, so that it currently has 1440 402, 404, 405, 408 and 409 in its fleet.
For Alstom, this is the first BEMU in regular passenger service in Germany (the prototype Talent 3 BEMU 8442 100 is no longer in operation). The Class 1440.4 units have a range of up to 120 km in battery mode. The 840 kWh roof batteries are recharged from the overhead line at the main stations in Chemnitz and Leipzig, which means that of the 81 km of RE 6 line, the units are under catenary for less than 1 km.
The introduction of the BEMUs between Saxony's largest and third largest cities will improve the quality of service on the route. However, VMS adds that despite the modern technology, the BEMUs on the RE6 will not be able to achieve the same punctuality as the Class 1440 Coradia Continental EMUs on the RE 3 Dresden - Chemnitz - Hof and RB 30 Dresden - Zwickau lines, where it is 95 %. On the RE 6, it is only 80 %, and the reason is the single-track line, which is prone to failures and whose double-tracking and electrification will take years. The modernisation of the line is also a prerequisite for the use of longer trains and 30-minute interval operation.