Hohenzollerische Landesbahn’s Regio-Shuttles to begin operating in the Czech Republic
22.12.2020 // 24 vehicles were sold after many years of service on the Zollernalb railway lines
Since the timetable change on Sunday, 13 December 2020, the SWEG transport company Hohenzollerische Landesbahn has been using modern Lint 54 diesel multiple units from Alstom on the Zollernalb lines.
The RegioShuttles RS1s that were previously used on these lines were sold to HEROS Helvetic Rolling Stock GmbH, which sold a large share of the fleet to the Czech railway operator České dráhy. In the future, 22 Regio-Shuttles will operate in the Czech railway network. ‘The sale of the Zollernalb railway line fleet seamlessly at its end of life is naturally a stroke of luck for us,’ says Tobias Harms, Chairman of the Management Board / CEO of SWEG. ‘The Czech state railway operator was quickly convinced by the very good overall technical condition of these rather aged trains.’ HEROS acquired 24 Regio-Shuttles in total. There will be 13 vehicles transferred to the Czech Republic by the end of the year, HEROS will deliver nine further Regio-Shuttles to České dráhy after a general inspection next year and two vehicles will be rented out by HEROS Rail Rent GmbH (a subsidiary of HEROS Helvetic Rolling Stock GmbH). The vehicles were prepared for acceptance and transfer in the SWEG railway workshop in Gammertingen. ‘The cooperation with HEROS and the Czech railway operator went very well,’ says Timo Jung, Head of SWEG’s Railway Vehicles and Workshops Division.
Except for two from 2005, the Regio-Shuttles were built in 1997. Hohenzollerische Landesbahn had been operating them on Zollernalb railway lines 1 and 2 – that is, on the Tübingen – Hechingen – Balingen – Sigmaringen and Hechingen – Gammertingen – Sigmaringen lines. They had also been in use on the Engstingen – Gammertingen, Balingen – Schömberg and Eyach – Hechingen passenger lines.
About the company:
The Lahr-based company SWEG provides urban and intercity bus transport services as well as rail freight and regional and local rail passenger transport services in Baden-Württemberg and, in part, neighbouring regions. In 2018, the merger of Hohenzollerische Landesbahn (HzL), based in Hechingen, into Südwestdeutsche Landesverkehrs-AG was completed. SWEG has a workforce of more than 1,300 people.
HEROS, with headquarters in Rheinfelden, Switzerland, markets used rail vehicles worldwide and rents locomotives, multiple units and passenger coaches in continental Europe. The HEROS Group has locations in Switzerland and Germany. HEROS currently has around 70 rail vehicles and offers its customers, amongst other things, tailored leasing solutions, a wide range of used railway vehicles and extensive knowledge in maintenance, repair and modernisation of vehicles.