Extra capacity - through height

Double-decker trains have had extremely limited UK use owing to the restricted loading gauge, although pre-pandemic there had been discussion about the merits of employing them on busy commuter lines in the South.

However, in continental Europe they are still seen as part of the solution.

This year’s InnoTrans brought the opportunity to inspect one of the latest products: Alstom’s Coradia Stream High-Capacity for

Luxembourg, one of 34 160kph (100mph) versions for the Grand Duchy’s CFL.

Delivered in 160-metre (Class 2450) and 80-metre (Class 2400) lengths, the trains are also to run cross-border into Belgium and France. In their longer form with six cars, the double-deck EMUs have 692 seats.

A development of the single-deck Coradia Stream, the high-capacity version has a modular design with adaptable entrance height, flat floor in the centre cars, and multi-purpose area for wheelchairs and strollers.

As well as Luxembourg, the trains have been ordered by Spanish and German operators. The latter’s LNVG (Hessia) is to take 29, while SFBW (BadenWürttemberg) has ordered 130 four-car sets (mixed double-/single-deckers) in a contract worth around 2.5 billion euros (£2.2bn), including maintenance over 30 years. Altogether, almost 400 have been ordered, says Alstom.

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2. This particular Coradia Stream HC is destined for Luxembourg.

1. Doubling up… the Coradia Stream HC. 3. Looking along the upstairs deck, with a mixture of traditional and longitudinally arranged seating. 4. Downstairs, with the carriage doors to the left and the low-level saloon beyond. The stairs to the top deck are in the middle.