South-west Germany is counting on Siemens: from 2020 onward, DB Regio AG will be operating its Rhine Valley rail network exclusively with new trains from Siemens. The German Railways order covers 15 Desiro HC and 24 Mireo trains in total, and goes hand in hand with a restructuring of the rail transport services in the Rhine Valley. There is a clear separation between a rapid train system for fast cross-regional services and a regional suburban rail system (S-Bahn) with stops at all stations. The Mireo will be deployed as a regional train (RB) service along the line section from Offenburg via Freiburg to Basel/Neuenburg (Switzerland) as well as in the Kaiserstuhl area on Sundays between Freiburg and Endingen/Breisach. The line section from Karlsruhe via Offenburg and Freiburg to Basel (Switzerland) will be operated with the Desiro HC as a regional express service.
Siemens Mobility, Inc., a fully owned subsidiary of Siemens AG, is a leading international provider of intelligent mobility solutions that offer guaranteed availability, optimized capacity and enhanced passenger experience. The company’s business includes rail rolling stock, rail automation, intelligent traffic systems, traffic telematics systems as well as rail electrification. The portfolio also covers turnkey mobility projects and tailored financing solutions.Siemens Mobility, Inc. draws on more than 160 years of expertise and experience in transportation. The company combines innovations with comprehensive industry know-how, a global network of recognized experts in over 40 countries, and the solid financial base of Siemens AG.
In December 2010, Siemens received an order from Eurostar International Ltd. for ten interoperable 16-car high-speed trains, and the company ordered an additional seven in January 2015. The trains are based on the Velaro, the world's most diverse high-speed platform. Service with the first Eurostar Velaro was inaugurated in November 2015 between London and Paris through the Channel Tunnel. In May 2017, service also began on the route between London and Brussels. And the Velaro has been running between London and Amsterdam via Brussels since April 2018.The train, designated as the "e320" by Eurostar, provides around 20 more passenger capacity than the previous Eurostar trains. With an overall length of 400 meters, the e320 is the longest member of the Velaro family and has seating for 900 passengers.All 17 trains are currently in operation and cover a total of around 37,000 kilometers a month in service. Passengers are offered free WLAN access, USB ports and services such as TV streaming and films via an onboard entertainment system. In view of these special amenities, the e320 was named "Train of the Year 2017" by the National Rail Awards in the United Kingdom.
In a consortium with the general infrastructure contractor Per Aarsleff A/S, Siemens has received an order to build a light rail system in Copenhagen, Denmark, from urban transport development company Greater Copenhagen Light Rail I/S. The contract will be implemented as a turnkey project. Commissioning of the system is planned for 2024.
Utmost reliability and maximum availability are critically important for ensuring the cost-efficient operation of rail vehicles and the infrastructure they use. After all, malfunctions and downtimes cost money, cause delays and frequently also lead to compensation claims from passengers, local transport purchasers and freight customers. Long before faults actually occur, their potential sources should be identified. To provide this information, Siemens is the first company in the rail industry to operate a special data analytics center, located in Munich, Germany.
Siemens and The AES Corporation announced on July 11, 2017 their agreement to form a new global energy storage technology and services company under the name Fluence.The joint venture will deliver the Advancion and Siestorage energy storage platforms and will continue to develop new storage solutions and services. Fluence will empower customers around the world to better navigate the fragmented but rapidly growing energy storage sector and meet their pressing needs for scalable, flexible, and cost-competitive energy storage solutions.Its global headquarters will be located in the Washington, DC area with additional offices located in Erlangen, Germany and other cities worldwide.The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of calendar year 2017, subject to regulatory and other approvals.
In 2014, the Departments of Transportation of California, Illinois and Maryland ordered an initial lot of 34 Charger locomotives from Siemens, with an option for a total of 222 locomotives. The contract back then was valued at approximately €165 million ($225 million). Due to orders from other states as well as by the private rail operator All Aboard Florida, the total number of Chargers ordered amounts to 81 in 2017. The locomotives are deployed in corridors of the US states for regional and mainline trains travelling for Caltrains (California) as Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, in Washington as Amtrak Cascades and in Maryland with the regional network MARC. Under the "Brightline" brand, ten Chargers are being deployed in high-speed rail services between Miami and West Palm Beach; Orlando is due to follow at a later date.
Siemens will deliver 1,140 commuter rail carriages to the British capital. This is the largest order that Siemens has ever won in Great Britain and one of the biggest orders for Siemens' global rolling stock business. The first Desiro City train for the Thameslink network in Greater London was delivered and entered service in June 2016. By the end of 2018, a total of 115 trains will have been delivered. Siemens will take over the complete long-term servicing and maintenance for this new fleet of trains. The Thameslink north-south commuter route runs through London, connecting Bedford, located to the north east of the capital, with Brighton, on the south coast.Introducing a high capacity, high frequency service of longer trains, extended platforms and new stations, the project is regarded as one of the largest rail infrastructure projects in the UK.