4000 hp performance

Fast, powerful, safe: how new trains save lives

The "service jet" is equipped with several water cannons on both sides.(Bild: ÖBFV/Mathias Seyfert)

Whether for extinguishing fires, evacuating people or towing defective trainsets: ÖBB has now unveiled the first of 18 new rescue trains in St. Pölten. 230 million euros are being invested.

They are 68 metres long, hold 40,000 liters of water, can travel at speeds of up to 160 km/h and can accommodate 300 people: the new generation of rescue trains is set to revolutionize rescue and fire-fighting work on the tracks. ÖBB is purchasing 18 so-called service jets for a whopping 230 million euros. The first of these has now been presented to the public at the training campus in St. Pölten. For the first time, it will ensure safety in the 33-kilometer Koralm Tunnel between Graz and Klagenfurt.

In the event of an emergency, four ÖBB employees and 14 Florianis will sit in the new rescue train.(Bild: Feuerwehr St. Pölten)

The service jet can be powered either by electricity (4000 hp), a battery (280 kWh) or two diesel generators (1060 hp in total). Its power is sufficient to tow trains weighing up to 2000 tons. The rescue train can travel at the same speed in both directions and - unlike its predecessors - has been designed as a fully accessible train set.

Equipment for 20 emergency crews
On board are mobile roll containers with equipment for 20 emergency crews. A total of four high-pressure and two low-pressure water cannons are also installed on both power cars. They can also be used with foam.

Peter Spuhler (left) from the manufacturer Stadler Rail and ÖBB board member Johann Pluy took a seat in the service jet themselves.(Bild: Lukas Leonte)

A filter system protects the passengers from smoke. Thermal imaging cameras are also fitted. "Our new service jets offer greater performance in a wider operating range," says ÖBB Board Member Johann Pluy. Functional tests are currently taking place. The official approval process is due to start this year.