Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) has ordered a total of 189 Desiro ML regional trains from Siemens. The trains will operate under the name "Cityjet".
The trains will be produced at the Siemens Mobility plants in Krefeld, Germany, and Graz, Austria, and final assembly will take place at ÖBB's Technical Services factory in Jedlersdorf, Austria.
Two design alternatives of the Desiro ML are built: the urban train design for large metropolitan areas such as Vienna and the regional train design. The ÖBB cityjet also offers a variable, low-floor seating arrangement as well as spacious entrance and intercar gangway areas, an attractive, innovative design and maximum riding comfort, and barrier-free entrance to all 550-mm station platforms in Austria.
Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) and Siemens Mobility are jointly investing in the future of passenger transport and are developing an electro-hybrid battery drive for trains. Operating as a battery-powered train, the Cityjet eco is an alternative for non-electrified rail lines primarily served at present with diesel-powered passenger trains. Battery operation can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 50 percent compared to diesels. Following extensive testing of the prototype train, it is expected to first be used in passenger service in the second half of 2019.
On August 26, the joint project reached its next milestone: The battery driven EMU got the homologation and is starting passenger service beginning of September 2019, bringing more sustainability to non-electrified tracks in Austria.
Wiener Linien commissioned Siemens at the end of 2017 with the delivery of 34 fully automated metro trains. The contract also includes the maintenance of the trains for a period of 24 years and an option for an additional eleven trains. The "X cars" will be operated fully automated on the new U5 line in Vienna beginning in 2024. The trains can also operate semi-automated or manually on previously existing lines. Delivery of the trains is scheduled to begin in mid-2020 and to be completed by 2030. The trains will be manufactured at the Siemens factory in Vienna.
As urban populations continue to grow, the need to provide
reliable and efficient transportation that allows passengers to connect
seamlessly door-to-door becomes more critical. From public transportation to
ride-sharing, bike-sharing and scooter-sharing, passengers are increasingly
looking for options that allow them to select their transportation options on
demand, planning and paying for their commutes in one easy-to-use application.
Together, Siemens Mobility, HaCon, eos.uptrade, Bytemark and Padam are
providing these digital solutions that are making commutes easier and faster.
In September 2012, Munich city utility company (SWM) was the first customer to order the new Avenio for the light rail network of the MVG (Munich transport company). In the meantime, SWM has continually expanded its Avenio fleet.
With six lines and a total route length of 176 kilometers, Riyadh is constructing one of the world’s largest metro projects. Riyadh currently has a population of 6.5 million people which is set to increase to 8.3 million by 2030 due to its rapid urban growth. As part of a consortium with the US company Bechtel and the local construction firms Almabani and Consolidated Contractors Company, Siemens Mobility is responsible for building lines 1 (Blue Line) and 2 (Red Line). Siemens Mobility, as Engineering and Maintenance partner, is supplying the rolling stock for driverless operation. Moreover, the scope includes project management, signaling, power supply, communication systems, depot and workshop equip¬ment, platform screen doors, testing and commissioning and system integration in a turnkey approach.
Ostdeutsche Eisenbahn GmbH (ODEG) has ordered 23 Desiro HC regional trains from Siemens for service on the Elbe-Spree network. The order is worth around €300 million. Delivery of the 21 six-car and two four-car trains is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2022. In January 2019, ODEG was awarded the contract to operate these lines following a Europe-wide tender by Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg (VBB).
The Desiro trainsets will be used on the regional express line RE1 (lot 1) connecting Magdeburg with Cottbus via Berlin and Frankfurt (Oder). During rush hours, trains will operate three times an hour between Brandenburg a. d. Havel and Frankfurt (Oder). The four-car Desiros are planned for service on the RE8 line connecting Wismar and Wittenberge with Baruth and Elsterwerda/Finsterwalde via Berlin, as well as on the RB17 line connecting Wismar and Ludwigslust.
The trains have generous space available for bicycles, strollers and wheelchairs and a multipurpose car with a barrier-free WC. Sliding steps enable barrier-free access at stations with 550 mm and 760 mm platform heights. Wider doors than in older trains speed and ease passenger boarding and exiting. Free WLAN on board enhances passenger convenience. A passenger safety system provides live camera coverage of activities in the cars. In case of a conflict or problem, supervisors at the operations control center can communicate directly with the car via loudspeakers. The cars are equipped inside and outside with real-time capacity displays, and this information can also be accessed via the VBB app.
The Siemens Zug campus features a new office building with 1,000 work spaces and a newly constructed production building. The Siemens Zug campus is one of the first new projects to use Building Information Modeling (BIM) for design and construction. The campus complex is equipped with building automation, security and fire safety technology from Siemens BT and particular emphasis was placed on sustainability and energy efficiency of the buildings.
On September 26, 2017 Siemens and Alstom have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to combine Siemens' mobility business, including its rail traction drives business, with Alstom. The transaction brings together two innovative players of the railway market with unique customer value and operational potential. The two businesses are largely complementary in terms of activities and geographies. Siemens will receive newly issued shares in the combined company representing 50 percent of Alstom's share capital on a fully diluted basis.On February 6, 2019 the European Commission has announced its decision to prohibit the proposed combination of the Siemens and Alstom mobility businesses. As a result of this prohibition, the merger will not proceed. Siemens and Alstom regret that the remedies they offered, including recent improvements, have been considered insufficient by the EU Commission.
The need for electromobility is growing, as is the need for an efficient charging infrastructure. As a pioneer in electromobility, Siemens has global experience, maintains a strong portfolio along the entire value chain, and plays an active role in advancing the development and standardization of charging solutions worldwide.Siemens is part of the "FastCharge" research project together with BMW Group as consortium leader, Allego GmbH, Phoenix Contact E-Mobility GmbH as well as Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG. This project is investigating the technological requirements that vehicles and infrastructure must meet in order to be able to use extremely high charging capacities. The industrial companies involved in the research project presented the latest advancements in the field of fast and convenient energy supply for electrically powered vehicles on December 12, 2018. The prototype of a charging station with a capacity of up to 450 kW was inaugurated in Jettingen-Scheppach, Bavaria. At this ultra-fast charging station, electrically powered research vehicles created as part of the project are able to demonstrate charging times of less than three minutes for the first 100 kilometres of range or 15 minutes for a full charge (10-80 % State of Charge (SOC)).The energy supply system of Siemens used in the project contains both high-power electronics for the charging connections as well as the communication interface to the electric vehicles. For the connection to the public power grid, a charging container was implemented with two charging connections for CCS-compatible vehicles. One connection has an unprecedented charging capacity of max. 450 kW while the second can deliver up to 175 kW.