Munich modernizes subway fleet

The city has purchased 24 ultra-modern subway trains to replace ones dating back to the 1970s

The Bavarian capital of Munich has announced that it has begun a massive investment project meant to substantially renew the city’s subway fleet. The investment by the local government comes amidst a rising need for public interventions in the economy in the wake of COVID-19. Large projects and procurements by authorities are some of the best ways to mitigate the effects of the pandemic and to drive up economic activity.

Modernizing for the benefit of the citizens of Munich

The first batch of 24 trains that have been purchased have already begun arriving and some of them have already been deployed and are in use. The ultra-modern C2 trains are of the latest generation and will substantially improve not only the mobility in Munich but also the environmental impact of the local public transport network.

By the year 2024, a total of 67 C2 trains are meant to be rolled out and put into use in the Bavarian capital. The new vehicles have two main features – on the one hand, they are far bigger than their older counterparts and simultaneously boast far more state-of-the-art gadgets and extras. 

The improvements to the already existing infrastructure are evident – not only will the vehicles replace older ones, some of which date back to the 1970s, but will also bolster the capacity of Munich’s subway. Nearly half of the first batch of arrivals will be used to phase out older trains, while the rest are meant for expansion.

“With the new C2 trains, we are consistently continuing to rejuvenate our subway fleet. For our passengers, this means above all more space and more comfort,” stated Ingo Wortmann, MVG boss and SWM managing director of mobility. “Over the next ten years, we want to retire all old A and B cars and operate our subway with modern high-performance trains without exception. This means that we can add around 5,000 more places to the rail without further cycle compression. "