New trains for Berlin's S-Bahn

The new S-Bahn trains for Berlin must complete approx. 160,000 kilometers of extensive tests and measurements. The first five trains have been making their rounds at the Test and Validation Center (PCW) of Siemens Mobility in Wegberg-Wildenrath (North Rhine-Westphalia) since last fall. Virtually all types of trains and rail vehicles operating on standard-gauge and meter-gauge tracks as well as systems and components can be subjected to typical railway tests at the PCW. Before being allowed to undertake their first test runs on the Berlin S-Bahn network, the trains are being thoroughly tested at the world’s largest test center for rail vehicles.

Tests are conducted on the functioning and interaction of the current collectors with the Berlin S-Bahn power rail, the accurate detection of power rail gaps, and the capability to maintain electrical system operation while crossing section interfaces in the Berlin infrastructure. So far, the new trains for the Berlin S-Bahn have completed around 2,000 test kilometers out of a planned total of roughly 160,000. The PCW makes it possible to carry out tests 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The rounds on the test ring of Siemens Mobility are another important milestone after each system has been activated step-by-step. Trains, rolling stock and systems are tested under real-life conditions or simulated extreme conditions, with static or dynamic tests. After completing the developer tests, it is expected that the proof and driving technology type tests can begin on special sections of the Berlin S-Bahn network in the late summer of 2019. Parallel to these proof tests of individual trains in the Berlin network, the S-Bahn trains will continue making their test rounds at the PCW to confirm that all specified functions and requirements for certification have been fulfilled.

Today at InnoTrans, the leading international trade fair for transport technology, the manufacturer's consortium of Stadler and Siemens and S-Bahn Berlin presented the first "half train" for German capital's new S-Bahn fleet. The four-car train will begin operation in 2021 on Berlin's Ring/Southeast network.
The new train can be thoroughly inspected at this year's InnoTrans, being held on September 18-23. The train will also be open to the public on the trade fair's open-house days, giving Berlin's future passengers an opportunity to get their own first impressions of "their" new S-Bahn. The train itself is a true "Berliner": it was designed, developed and constructed by two companies that have deep roots in Berlin, and the 106 new trains have been precisely tailored to meet the needs of the city.

In the picture from left to right: Peter Buchner, Managing Director of S-Bahn Berlin GmbH; Christian Gaebler, Head of Senate Chancellery of the federal state of Berlin; Susanne Henckel, Managing Director of VBB Verkehrsverbund Berlin Brandenburg GmbH; Sabrina Soussan, CEO of Siemens Mobility and Ulf Braker, CEO of Stadler Pankow GmbH.

The blue and black seats, handrails and wall paneling are installed, the flooring is finished and 90 kilometers of cable have been laid. Especially strik4d099bb8-9e72-4adb-aea4-6a3699598311ing are the large panorama windows and the generous space provided for buggies and bicycles. There’s also a special area for wheelchairs located directly behind the driver.

Following its assembly, the first half train BR 484 already looks as good as finished. The train will be transferred to the Stadler site in Velten in the next few days, where the commissioning process will bring it to life. This stage includes all the technical activities that are necessary to make the assembled rail vehicle operational.
Siemens is delivering the key electrical components, such as drive power converters, auxiliary converters, train control system, passenger information system, bogies and brake system. Stadler is primarily responsible for the mechanical components, including car bodies, interior fittings (walls, floors, and ceilings), seats, doors and the air conditioning system. Delivery of the main production series will be completed by 2023.

"Today, around two-and-a-half years after signing the contract, we are presenting the first train and can start the commissioning process. Afterwards, we will be receiving the first S-Bahn at Siemens' test and validation center for rail vehicles in Wegberg-Wildenrath. Here we will thoroughly check the train under real operating conditions and simulate extreme situations with static or dynamic tests as part of the certification process," explains Müslüm Yakisan, head of Siemens' S-Bahn and regional trains unit.

From left to right: Alexander Kaczmarek, Corporate Representative DB state Berlin; Ulf Braker, CEO of Stadler Pankow GmbH, Michael Müller (SPD), Governing Mayor of Berlin, Susanne Henckel, Managing Director of VBB Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH; Müslüm Yakisan, head of Siemens’ S-Bahn and regional trains unit and Peter Buchner, CEO of S-Bahn Berlin GmbH.​

The blue and black seats, handrails and wall paneling are installed, the flooring is finished and 90 kilometers of cable have been laid. Especially striking are the large panorama windows and the generous space provided for buggies and bicycles. There’s also a special area for wheelchairs located directly behind the driver.

Berlin is looking forward to its new S-Bahn with great anticipation – and the first concrete steps are underway! The final assembly for the technical and interior equipment of the still empty car bodies for the latest trains of S-Bahn Berlin's light rail fleet started today.
The exterior paint of the first bodyshell is a real feast for the eyes. 220 kilograms of red and yellow color painted onto the car's approximately 17 meters length leave no doubt that securing the future of Berlin's light rail system is in full swing. The technicians from the Siemens/Stadler manufacturing consortium can now start their job. First, they will focus on 30 pilot series cars. Five fully walk-through four-car units and five two-car trainsets will each be equipped in the coming months. 352 additional cars will follow in the next few years.

In the picture from left: Ines Jesse, State Secretary Brandenburg State Ministry for Infrastructure and Regional Planning, Susanne Henckel, CEO Transportation Association Berlin-Brandenburg VBB (Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH), Peter Buchner, Vorsitzender der Geschäftsführung der S-Bahn Berlin GmbH, Hartmut Reupke, Department Head Transportation of Berlin's Senate Administration for Environment, Transportation and Climate protection, Sabrina Soussan, CEO Siemens Mobility Division and Ulf Braker, CEO Stadler Pankow GmbH

Berlin is looking forward to its new S-Bahn with great anticipation – and the first concrete steps are underway! The final assembly for the technical and interior equipment of the still empty car bodies for the latest trains of S-Bahn Berlin's light rail fleet started today.
The technicians from the Siemens/Stadler manufacturing consortium can now start their job. First, they will focus on 30 pilot series cars. Five fully walk-through four-car units and five two-car trainsets will each be equipped in the coming months. 352 additional cars will follow in the next few years.

Berlin is looking forward to its new S-Bahn with great anticipation – and the first concrete steps are underway! The final assembly for the technical and interior equipment of the still empty car bodies for the latest trains of S-Bahn Berlin's light rail fleet started today.
The technicians from the Siemens/Stadler manufacturing consortium can now start their job. First, they will focus on 30 pilot series cars. Five fully walk-through four-car units and five two-car trainsets will each be equipped in the coming months. 352 additional cars will follow in the next few years.

The new S-Bahn, the mass transit rail system for Berlin and the surrounding region of Brandenburg, is taking visible shape. A mere ten months after the order was placed for a new generation of trains, the manufacturing consortium of Siemens/Stadler presented a full-scale walk-through car model. The model provides a realistic mock-up of the car front and side. Doorways and the interior passenger space are completely constructed and equipped with all foreseen functions.

The individual doors are fully functional and equipped with the required acoustic and visual signals. The car model, built in the Babelsberg Film Studio in Berlin, serves as a working tool and aids engineers, designers and constructors in developing a final design solution for the actual cars. Suggestions made by the public testers in the customer experience lab can be checked for their feasibility.

As part of the design development phase, a number of interested persons will be given an opportunity by operator S-Bahn Berlin GmbH to personally experience and test the model and offer their comments and suggestions. All future users of the new train should be able to identify with the design.

The new S-Bahn, the mass transit rail system for Berlin and the surrounding region of Brandenburg, is taking visible shape. A mere ten months after the order was placed for a new generation of trains, the manufacturing consortium of Siemens/Stadler presented a full-scale walk-through car model. While the body shell itself is built of wood, the interior is largely fitted with original parts such as seats, handrails, lighting fixtures and floors. The individual doors are fully functional and equipped with the required acoustic and visual signals. Other functions, such as displays for passenger information, intercom stations for communicating with S-Bahn personnel, and the air conditioning system, are mock-ups.

The whole interior space will reflect the latest design models, based on functionality, comfort and ergonomics, and taking account of relevant standards and principles. The new end-to-end four-car units will allow for better distribution of passengers and provide additional seats in the new intercar passageways. Wheelchair spaces will for the first time now be located in close proximity to the driver.

The whole passenger compartment has been designed to be open and bright, with large windows that create a pleasant and safe atmosphere. Passenger compartment air conditioning is another new feature for vehicles on the Berlin S-Bahn. Lockable connecting doors will ensure that, in the event of damage due to vandalism, the damaged car can be locked and the remaining cars can still be used.

The whole passenger compartment has been designed to be open and bright, with large windows that create a pleasant and safe atmosphere. Passenger compartment air conditioning is another new feature for vehicles on the Berlin S-Bahn. The new end-to-end four-car units will allow for better distribution of passengers and provide additional seats in the new intercar passageways.
S-Bahn Berlin's passengers can look forward to a marked increase in riding comfort ̶ among other things, thanks to the passenger information system. Flat-screen displays fitted to the side of each car will boast a high-resolution output to ensure that the content displayed is crystal clear. While traveling on an S-Bahn train, passengers will then also be kept updated about their journey thanks to a clear route display graphic showing a series of dynamic lines representing stations and possible connections.

The front of the trains will have a modern design behind which, in the driver's cab, the controls will be arranged in accordance with the latest ergonomic findings – one innovative change is that the screens will be integrated into the driver's console, giving the driver a better view of the track.

The external appearance will remain the same in terms of the color scheme. The front of the trains will have a modern design. Each of the vehicle's individual cars has its own traction converter that drives three of each car's four wheelsets. This means that the four-car half-train can tolerate a failure in one of its four traction converters without this significantly compromising the timetable.

The whole passenger compartment has been designed to be open and bright, with large windows that create a pleasant and safe atmosphere. Passenger compartment air conditioning is another new feature for vehicles on the Berlin S-Bahn. In view of the limited vehicle height, a special solution for integrating the necessary components was incorporated into the design. While part of the system will be accommodated in the vehicle's ceiling area above the seating groups, other elements of the air-conditioning system will be housed under the vehicle floor.

S-Bahn Berlin GmbH has signed a framework contract with the consortium of Stadler Pankow GmbH and Siemens for the delivery of up to 1,380 vehicles. A firm order was placed for the first 106 trains. The 85 four-section and 21 two-section trains have a high triple-digit million-euro order volume. S-Bahn Berlin, a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn, plans to use the new trains on the Ringbahn lines (S 41 and S 42) as well as on the system's southeastern feeder lines S 47, S 46 and S 8. These lines comprise roughly one-third of the entire S-Bahn network in Berlin. The first ten vehicles will be ready to enter service as of 2020. Subsequently, all remaining vehicles will be delivered continuously to the Berlin system up to 2023. The vehicles will be manufactured and assembled at the Berlin plant operated by Stadler Pankow GmbH.