Premiere: Battery train on the road between Leipzig and Chemnitz

The new battery-powered train ran on the Leipzig-Chemnitz route for the first time. The RE 6 Coradia Continental from Alstom with 300 seats departed as scheduled at 5.31 a.m. from Chemnitz main station. According to Verkehrsverbund Mittelsachsen (VMS), this is the first battery-powered train in regular timetable operation. In the coming months, the existing double-decker trains will be completely replaced by new battery-powered trains, as the VMS announced in advance.

Due to the lack of overhead lines, trains with diesel locomotives have been running on the route between the two major Saxon cities until now. However, there have been repeated problems and complaints for many years. To remedy this, the VMS ordered eleven battery-powered trains from Alstom in 2020. They were due to start operating from December 2023, but delivery was postponed several times.

Batteries are charged when the train stops at the station

The batteries supply electricity when there is no overhead line. They are charged during the stop at the station. As with electric cars, electricity can also be recovered during the journey. According to earlier information from Alstom, the range in battery mode is up to 120 kilometers. The trains can travel at speeds of up to 160 km/h.

According to Mitteldeutsche Regiobahn, which operates the RE 6 line, the first vehicle was handed over in October 2025 for staff training and test runs. Four more vehicles have since been added. Trains from the Coradia Continental series are already in operation in Saxony on the Dresden-Chemnitz-Hof line, but without a battery.