DBAG Class 641
Encyclopedia
The DBAG Class 641 is a class of German railway vehicle operated by Deutsche Bahn AG (DBAG). They are diesel railcar
s belonging to the Alstom Coradia A TER family. Their development started as a joint project between DBAG and the French national railway, SNCF
, on the one hand, and the railway vehicle manufacturers De Dietrich Ferroviaire
and Linke-Hofmann-Busch on the other. They were manufactured by these firms under their present-day names of Alstom LHB and Alstom DDF, both of which belong to Alstom
.
Forty units of this class were delivered to Deutsche Bahn AG, of which 4 have been retired due to accidents.
The railcars are fitted with centre buffer couplings. The arrangement of the two engines in front of the bogies, the bulging appearance of the coach body and the large, one-piece, swinging doors give the vehicle its characteristic appearance, which has earnt it the nickname Walfisch (Whale).
They are deployed in Baden-Württemberg
at Hochrhein – between Basel Badischer Bahnhof
and Lauchringen
– and in Thuringia
at Erfurt
, on lines including the Schwarzatalbahn between Rottenbach
and Katzhütte
, on the Pfefferminzbahn between Sömmerda
and Großheringen
, the Friedrichroda railway between Friedrichroda
and Fröttstädt
, on the line from Saalfeld to Blankenstein
and the Gotha
–Gräfenroda
railway.
Other vehicles of the Alstom Coradia A TER family were delivered from Reichshoffen
to the French SNCF
and the Luxembourg CFL
. These vehicles are classified by the SNCF as ATER 73500
. For cross-border traffic between Germany
and France
a further 19 were procured as ATER 73900
, of which two (X 73914 and 73915) were paid for by Saarland and painted traffic red.
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
s belonging to the Alstom Coradia A TER family. Their development started as a joint project between DBAG and the French national railway, SNCF
SNCF
The SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
, on the one hand, and the railway vehicle manufacturers De Dietrich Ferroviaire
De Dietrich Ferroviaire
De Dietrich Ferroviaire is a French manufacturer of railway rolling stock based in Reichshoffen, France. It was formed as a division of the De Dietrich group, which has a ....
and Linke-Hofmann-Busch on the other. They were manufactured by these firms under their present-day names of Alstom LHB and Alstom DDF, both of which belong to Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
.
Forty units of this class were delivered to Deutsche Bahn AG, of which 4 have been retired due to accidents.
The railcars are fitted with centre buffer couplings. The arrangement of the two engines in front of the bogies, the bulging appearance of the coach body and the large, one-piece, swinging doors give the vehicle its characteristic appearance, which has earnt it the nickname Walfisch (Whale).
They are deployed in Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
at Hochrhein – between Basel Badischer Bahnhof
Basel Badischer Bahnhof
Basel Badischer Bahnhof is a railway station situated in the Swiss city of Basel. Whilst the station is situated on Swiss soil, the platforms and part of the entrance hall are extraterritorial, belonging to Germany, and the station is operated by the German railway company Deutsche Bahn...
and Lauchringen
Lauchringen
Lauchringen is a town in the district of Waldshut in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. It is divided in two parts named Oberlauchringen und Unterlauchringen.-history:...
– and in Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
at Erfurt
Erfurt
Erfurt is the capital city of Thuringia and the main city nearest to the geographical centre of Germany, located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of Nuremberg and 180 km SE of Hannover. Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich. It lies in the southern part of the Thuringian...
, on lines including the Schwarzatalbahn between Rottenbach
Rottenbach
Rottenbach is a municipality in the district Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, in Thuringia, Germany....
and Katzhütte
Katzhütte
Katzhütte is a municipality in the district Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, in Thuringia, Germany.-History:Today’s borders of the place were formed by the consolidation of Katzhütte and Oelze to a big municipality in 1950. At the moment of its founding there were about 3800 inhabitants. After the...
, on the Pfefferminzbahn between Sömmerda
Sömmerda
Sömmerda is a town near Erfurt in Thuringia, Germany, on the Unstrut river. It is the capital of the district of Sömmerda.-History:Archeological digs in the area that is now Sömmerda, formerly Leubingen, have uncovered prominently buried human remains dating to around 2000 BCE...
and Großheringen
Großheringen
Großheringen is a municipality in the Weimarer Land district of Thuringia, Germany....
, the Friedrichroda railway between Friedrichroda
Friedrichroda
Friedrichroda is a town in the district of Gotha, Thuringia, Germany. It is situated at the north foot of the Thuringian Forest, 21 km by rail southwest of the town of Gotha. It is surrounded by fir-clad hills and possesses numerous handsome villa residences, a Kurhaus and a sanatorium...
and Fröttstädt
Fröttstädt
Fröttstädt is a municipality in the district of Gotha, which is situated in the German state of Thuringia.Its railway station has a unique water supply method....
, on the line from Saalfeld to Blankenstein
Blankenstein
Blankenstein is a municipality in the district Saale-Orla-Kreis, in Thuringia, Germany.Blankenstein is also a quarter of the city Hattingen....
and the Gotha
Gotha (town)
Gotha is a town in Thuringia, within the central core of Germany. It is the capital of the district of Gotha.- History :The town has existed at least since the 8th century, when it was mentioned in a document signed by Charlemagne as Villa Gotaha . Its importance derives from having been chosen in...
–Gräfenroda
Gräfenroda
Gräfenroda is a municipality in Thuringia in the northeast of the Thüringer Wald forest, Ilm-Kreis district. Gräfenroda is the seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Oberes Geratal....
railway.
Reichshoffen
Reichshoffen is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-See also:* Battle of Worth, also known as the Battle of Reichshoffen*Communes of the Bas-Rhin department-References:*...
to the French SNCF
SNCF
The SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
and the Luxembourg CFL
Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois
Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois is the national railway company of Luxembourg. In 2005, the company carried approximately 14.1 million passengers and 11.7 million tonnes of goods...
. These vehicles are classified by the SNCF as ATER 73500
SNCF Class X 73500
The X73500 is a Diesel Multiple Unit train type operated by the SNCF in France. They were built from 1999 to 2004 by Alsthom DDF.-General Information:...
. For cross-border traffic between Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
a further 19 were procured as ATER 73900
SNCF Class X 73900
The X73900 is a Diesel Multiple Unit train type operated by the SNCF in France. They were built from 2001 to 2004 by Alsthom DDF. They are a version of the SNCF Class X 73500 equipped with train control systems for transborder services to Germany....
, of which two (X 73914 and 73915) were paid for by Saarland and painted traffic red.
See also
- Deutsche BahnDeutsche BahnDeutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
- List of Deutsche Bahn AG locomotives and railbuses
- SNCF Class X 73500SNCF Class X 73500The X73500 is a Diesel Multiple Unit train type operated by the SNCF in France. They were built from 1999 to 2004 by Alsthom DDF.-General Information:...
- SNCF Class X 73900SNCF Class X 73900The X73900 is a Diesel Multiple Unit train type operated by the SNCF in France. They were built from 2001 to 2004 by Alsthom DDF. They are a version of the SNCF Class X 73500 equipped with train control systems for transborder services to Germany....
- Alstom Coradia LINT
External links
- There is a relevant English-language forum at Railways of Germany