In the 1990s, Linke-Hoffmann-Busch, now known as Alstom Transport Deutschland, developed a modern, completely low-floor multiple unit with a modular drivetrain. It was introduced as LIREX, which means "light, innovative regional express". The basic concept for achieving the required properties consisted of combining the multiple unit from short car bodies that stood on special single-axle chassis and accommodating the majority of the propulsion technology on the roof.

Strictly speaking, the chassis was not a matter of individual axles, but of “curve-controlled individual wheel chassis” (KERF). The train was made up of two three-part halves, each with a two-axle car body in the middle. This was followed by another car body on both sides, which only stood on one axle and still achieved stable driving characteristics thanks to the steered wheels. In the entire train, six of the eight axles were equipped with a traction motor, which was powered by a total of four light diesel generators, each with 338 kW. Using a flywheel storage device, part of the braking energy could be recovered and reused for the next acceleration phase.

Only one set was built, which was used as a regional express between Magdeburg and Wittenberge. The passenger compartment, whose floor had a maximum height of 790 mm above the rails, was equipped with different, innovative seating arrangements and new types of entertainment electronics. Thanks to the short car bodies, it was possible to create more interior space with an external width of 3,042 mm and to arrange up to five seats in a row. A planned exchange of the four diesel generators for appropriate pantographs and converters did not take place. The vehicle was parked in 2006 and has been for sale since 2016. The Coradia Nordic was later developed as a successor without the individual wheel chassis, but with drive technology also housed in the roof area, and the Coradia Continental, which is also used in Germany, was based on this.