A new lease of life
for our trains

Black is beautiful. Not only that, but our new jet-black doors also help people with limited vision. Now, the next available boarding option is much easier to spot, even from afar. Fun fact: This black door design was also inspired by the brand-new 483/484 S-Bahn series.

After approx. 20 years of trusty use, the constant wear of countless feet has left its mark on the series 481 wooden floors. As part of our comprehensive series 481 overhaul, we are completely replacing these old floors with a style that matches the new series 483/484 look.

Up to now, the only markers indicating the 481 series multi-purpose compartments were large bicycle pictograms on the windows. Our new wheelchair pictogram, stencilled both on the train’s exterior and on the carriage floor, clearly draws attention to available wheelchair bays. Inside the train, a yellow, high-contrast paint ensures extra visibility.

Time for a new paint job: Although our series 481 trains still looked the part, they needed a new finish to meet the required technical specs. To go with the times, their refreshed look mirrors the new S-Bahn design with its stronger ochre, bolder red and striking black doors, once again modelled after our new 483/484 S-Bahn series.

Open, S-Bahn! As part of its comprehensive overhaul, the 481 series not only receives new doors, but also a new generation of tactile, illuminated door opening buttons that are easier to find and identify if you’re visually impaired.

Ideally, you won’t even notice this particular renewal measure since it happens deep inside in the S-Bahn carriage’s body. Since moisture can seep into the tiniest cracks – especially during wet, wintry weather and inside the train’s boarding area – all off the carriages’ steel body girders need to be checked for rust and corrosion and restored, where necessary.

For a safer ride: So far, the series 481 S-Bahn trains have not featured CCTV monitoring. All this will change with the installation of 5,000 security cameras to monitor the carriage interiors. Good to know: All images recorded by these cameras can only be requested by the federal police in order to prevent and investigate crimes.

Riding a train should never be a balancing act, but sometimes, during choppier rides, there might be nothing grip within easy reach. So, we’ve listened to our customers and added some welcome assistance for extra stability. As part of our longevity project, we’re fitting each quarter train with an additional 14 horizontal stainless-steel handrails.

Bye-bye, pale green! You’ve probably come across this dark blue check seat design before – on a Deutsche Bahn Regio train. Just like the new 483 and 484 series carriages, scheduled to join the Berlin S-Bahn network in 2021, the newly restored 481-series carriages will sport the signature Regio colours.

New controls and more comfortable seats. Romano certainly feels at home in the refurbished series’ driver’s cab.