- The long-distance double-decker Dosto, which was accompanied by breakdowns when it was introduced, is now one of the most reliable SBB trains.
- This is substantiated by SBB calculations for regular operations, which the “SonntagsZeitung” and the “Bahnrevue” report on.
- Thanks to further improvements, the Intercity can now cover up to 18,000 kilometers without any significant breakdowns – at the beginning it was barely 6,000 kilometers.
The SBB trains have a breakdown every 13,000 kilometers on average. In the first month of their introduction in autumn 2019, the Dosto trains covered just over 3,800 kilometers.
After that, the reliability of the trains newly developed by the train manufacturer Alstom-Bombardier continuously improved. Last May, faults only occurred about every 17,000 kilometers. This made the Dosto trains exceptionally reliable.
SBB refrains from faster cornering
An SBB spokeswoman confirmed the values to the Keystone-SDA news agency on Sunday. In addition to technical faults, operational delays due to operating errors, external influences or misconduct by passengers are also included in the assessment of reliability, according to the train manufacturer.
The introduction of the newly developed Dosto train was accompanied by massive technical glitches and delays. At the time, SBB spoke of a “forceps birth” and sometimes also criticized the manufacturer. At first, doors got stuck, the operating system crashed and heating and air conditioning caused trouble.
Legend:
The Dosto trains have apparently overcome their initial difficulties and will in future form the largest SBB fleet.
Keystone/Walter Bieri
Passengers complained that the carriages sometimes shook uncomfortably. In favor of travel comfort, the SBB is foregoing the originally planned faster curves with the train, as the company announced at the beginning of July. The planned travel time reductions of five minutes between Lausanne and Bern and two minutes between Winterthur and St. Margrethen cannot be implemented as planned.
SBB is procuring 62 double-decker trains for long-distance traffic for around CHF 1.9 billion. The new Dosto trains will form the largest fleet of SBB in the future. With up to 1,300 seats over a length of up to 400 meters, they provide more capacity.