EU: The national operator OBB, Austria, is requesting a corresponding research. According to the announced procurement, the company wants to evaluate technical feasibility, costs and terms of overhaul or replacement of air-conditioning systems for the whole fleet of the passenger Desiro ML trains produced by Siemens Mobility. Up to 1,516 climate control units are required by the Austrian operator to equip the interiors and cabins over a transition period, planned to extend from 2027 to 2034.
At around the same time, in mid-September, Mitsubishi Electric’s Italian subsidiary (Mitsubishi Electric Klimat Transportation Systems) received an order from Siemens Mobility for 1,350 R290 HVAC systems. The German manufacturer plans to install the new climate control units in its trains for the S-Bahn rail system in Munich.
Besides, the German-Swiss equipment manufacturer Liebherr has already launched serial production of railway HVAC systems with propane as a refrigerant. The company has orders from Stadler which is going to equip the FLIRT and FLIRTNEX trains for Finland and Norway with these climate control solutions.
Propane’s advantages include low cost, energy-efficiency, and environmental friendliness, which are essential benefits over conventional fluorinated gases. However, flammability of propane poses risks to fire safety, therefore additional security measures are required.
