BLS RABe 528


The BLS RABe 528, also known as MIKA, is a class of passenger electric multiple unit manufactured by Stadler Rail for BLS AG. It is a derivative of the Stadler FLIRT and began entering service in 2021. It is comparable to the Traverso of Südostbahn.

History

ordered 58 trainsets from Stadler Rail in 2017 at a cost of. BLS planned to use the trains on Bern S-Bahn services and on longer RegioExpress services. The RABe 528 will replace locomotive-hauled coaches and the and multiple units. The first trains entered service on 10 May 2021 on the InterRegio 66 between and.

Design

Each formation is composed of six cars, with a maximum seating capacity of 275. They can accommodate another 200 standees. Altogether the formation is long. Cars are wide and tall. The design speed is. There are different internal layouts for longer-distance trains compared to S-Bahn trains but they are mechanically identical.

Naming

It is common customs for Swiss railway companies to name their locomotives and MUs. Ten BLS RABe 528 are named after communes in the Swiss cantons of Bern, Lucerne and Neuchâtel, while two additional ones are named after communes in the Italian state of Piedmont. Each train bears the commune's coat of arms below the driver's window. The list below contains only named trainsets with their respective number., RABe 528 110 has a special livery of Kambly.
№COAName №COAName №COAName
528 101Luzern528 114Frutigen528 120Wimmis
528 104Entlebuch528 012Brig-Glis528 122Erlenbach im Simmental
528 110Trubschachen528 118Commune di Varzo528 123Boltigen
528 111La Chaux-de-Fonds528 119Città di Domodossola528 202Neuenegg
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