BVG launches faster U-Bahn train model in Berlin

Berlin’s public transport association, the BVG, has begun rolling out a new model of U-Bahn train on the U2 line. More new trains will soon be launched across the network.

New U-Bahn trains running on U2 line in Berlin

A new model of U-Bahn train has begun running on the U2 line in Berlin. The model has eight carriages, is faster than older models and has a modernised interior, with the BVG’s new upholstery pattern and better accessibility for disabled people, buggies and bikes.

The BVG plans to launch 17 and a half trains in the new model across the network by the end of the year. As more and more of the new trains run on the U2 line, carriages from older trains will be added to older models running on the U3 line to increase service capacity. 

BVG will provide regular service reports

The BVG has already reported that the new train models have improved services. “Compared to the period before the fleet was introduced, reliability on these lines has already increased by around six percentage points to 94 percent,” the transport association announced on September 23.

The company has stated that it will continue to publish regular reports on the impact of the new fleet on services. BVG services have come under scrutiny recently, as the company faces a driver shortage.

In July, every third U-Bahn on the U1 line in Berlin was suspended for over a week, without the BVG issuing a disruption notice. A report by Tagesspiegel prompted the transport association to officially announce the suspension, while an employee told the newspaper that there were simply not enough drivers to run the service.

Stressful working conditions mean the BVG is also struggling to retain its existing workforce. Speaking to The Local during strike action in February, a bus driver said, “Many of my colleagues leave the profession within two years.”