Bombardier Double-deck Coach
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Predecessor | Bombardier Transportation, Adtranz, DWA/Waggonbau Görlitz |
| Founded | September 22, 1928 in France |
| Headquarters | Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine , France |
Area served | Europe, Israel |
| Products | Double-deck passenger railcars (Double-deck Coach) |
| Website | www |
The Double-deck Coach represents a two-level passenger railcar currently produced by Alstom after its 2021 takeover of Bombardier Transportation, which had previously inherited production from Adtranz and DWA/Waggonbau Görlitz. These vehicles are utilized by multiple rail operators across Europe and Israel Railways, capable of reaching speeds up to 200 km/h (125 mph) and offering seating arrangements that accommodate between 100 and 150 passengers depending on the interior layout.
History
The design lineage begins with the LBE double-deck coaches manufactured by WUMAG in Görlitz during 1935–36 for the Lübeck–Büchen–Hamburg line. These push-pull sets incorporated a driving trailer that controlled a steam engine at the opposite end, marking an early example of double-deck railcars in Germany.
Following World War II, VEB Waggonbau Görlitz developed these into articulated bilevel trains called "Doppelstock(glieder)züge," distinguished by shared bogies between cars. Numerous units were exported throughout the Eastern Bloc, including Romania where they still operate as TE Acvila coaches. Conversely, West Germany’s Deutsche Bundesbahn primarily maintained single-level coaches until it introduced the second-generation Class 760 double-deck cars in the early 1990s.
Beginning in 1974, individual bilevel coaches emerged as direct forerunners to current double-deck designs, extensively deployed by Deutsche Reichsbahn (East Germany) and other Eastern Bloc railways, with approximately 4,000 units produced. After German reunification, VEB Waggonbau Görlitz was integrated into Deutsche Waggonbau AG (DWA), which was acquired by Bombardier Transportation in 1998. Bombardier’s rail division was subsequently sold to Alstom in 2021.
First Generation
Manufactured between 1973–1974 and 1976–1991, these bilevel coaches were delivered to East Germany as well as Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, and Czechoslovakia. In the Czech Republic, they are classified as UIC type Bmto292, while in Poland they carry the UIC type Bmnopux/Bmteeo designation and are colloquially called "bohun." Several German units underwent refurbishment in the 2000s featuring fourth-generation cab designs. Polish examples were modernized by Pesa Bydgoszcz from 2003 to 2009, whereas Czech units received upgrades between 2001 and 2022.
Unlike earlier articulated bilevel models, these featured fully independent bogie assemblies.
| DB class | Vmax | count | UIC type | notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 777 | 120 | DABbuzf | driving trailer | |
| 778 | 140 | DABbuzf | driving trailer |
Second Generation
Produced from 1992 to 1993 for both Deutsche Reichsbahn and Deutsche Bundesbahn in Germany, these vehicles were later designated as DB Class 760.
| DB class | Vmax | count | UIC type | notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 760 | 140 | 100 | DABbuzf | driving trailer |
Sleeping cars (Doppelstockschlafwagen)
Between 1992 and 1995, DWA along with Schindler Waggon, SIG Graz, and Waggonfabrik Talbot manufactured these sleeping cars for CityNightLine AG. Their design partially drew on licensed NS DD-AR models developed by Talbot.
There are two main configurations:
- WLBmz: featuring nine standard sleeping compartments on the upper level; the lower deck houses eight standard compartments plus two three-berth compartments; compartments include washbasins; toilets are shared at each end.
- WLABmz: upper floor includes four deluxe compartments equipped with private toilets and showers alongside one standard compartment with a washbasin; the lower deck mirrors the WLBmz arrangement with washbasins inside compartments and shared toilets.
All units were transferred to Deutsche Bahn's City Night Line service in 2007 before moving to ÖBB Nightjet operations in December 2016. As of , these sleeping cars primarily serve routes between Vienna–Zurich and Zurich–Hamburg.
Third Generation
Constructed between 1994 and 1997 under the DWA label for Germany (Deutsche Bahn).
| DB class | Maximum speed | Quantity | UIC classification | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 761 | 140 km/h | 58 units | DABbzf | Driving trailer |
| 762 | 140 km/h | 31 units | DABpbzf | Driving trailer |
Fourth Generation
Produced from 1997 onward, these trains were marketed under Bombardier and later Alstom brands, serving rail operators in Germany, Denmark, Israel, and additional countries.
| German national railways | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB class | Maximum speed | Quantity | UIC classification | Remarks | |
| 763 | 160 km/h | 50 units | DABpbzf | Driving trailer (initially limited to 140 km/h) | |
| 764 | 140 km/h | 39 units | DABpbzf | Driving trailer | |
| 765 | 160 km/h | 55 units | DABpbzfa | Driving trailer (originally certified for 160 km/h) | |
| 766 | 160 km/h | 55 units | DABpbzfa | Driving trailer | |
| 767 | 160 km/h | DABpbzfa | Driving trailer | ||
| Luxembourg National Railway Company | |||||
| Class designation | Maximum speed | Quantity | UIC classification | Remarks | |
| Dosto | 160 km/h | 20 units | Driving trailer | ||
| 15 units | First and second class carriage | ||||
| 52 units | Second class carriage | ||||
| Danish State Railways | |||||
| Class designation | Maximum speed | Quantity | UIC classification | Remarks | |
| ABs | 160 km/h | 25 units | Driving trailer; combined first/second class with bicycle storage | ||
| B | 62 units | Second class carriage | |||
| Bk | 26 units | Second class carriage equipped with vending machine | |||
Fifth Generation
Bombardier unveiled the "Dosto 2010" in 2008, subsequently rebranded as the Bombardier TWINDEXX, a modular double-deck train series designed for regional and intercity services within Germany. These trains feature design speeds reaching , with operational speeds up to . Deutsche Bahn operates a fleet of 404 TWINDEXX Vario coaches classified as DBAG Class 445/446, which commenced service in 2017 following delays and have gradually replaced numerous locomotive-pulled sets. Between 2010 and 2019, Israel Railways procured a total of 443 TWINDEXX Vario cars to support network expansion, completing deliveries by December 2021.
High-speed models are marketed under the TWINDEXX Express name, capable of speeds up to . A tilting electric multiple unit variant was developed for Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), designated as SBB RAB(D)e 502 and colloquially known as FV-Dosto or TWINDEXX Swiss Express, engineered for speeds up to . Although initial deliveries were scheduled around 2013, they were postponed to the period between 2018 and 2022 due to redesign requirements addressing Swiss accessibility standards for disabled passengers and technical challenges involving toilet systems and tilting mechanisms. In 2022, SBB made the decision to permanently disable the tilting functionality.
The National Railway Company of Belgium (NMBS/SNCB) placed an order in 2018 for TWINDEXX-based intercity trains designated as M7, manufactured at the former BN facility in Bruges; these trains entered operational service in January 2020.
In Poland, Koleje Mazowieckie acquired a contract in 2007 for thirty-seven Twindexx Vario coaches. Initially operated behind EU07 locomotives, these sets now run with TRAXX P160DC and Pesa Gama locomotives, occasionally supplemented by Pesa Sundeck bilevel coaches.
| Israel Railways |
|---|
See also
- DB Class 670 – DWA's double-decker diesel railbus