Siemens Mobility's Vectron locomotives are used for both freight and passenger service. During the development of the locomotive, the focus was on providing a future-proof design, investment security, environmental compatibility, fungibility, retrofitting capability and convertibility. The Vectron can be delivered as a purely electrical version for operating with alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) power systems as well as a multisystem (MS) variant in the power classes 5.2 MW, 5.6 MW and 6.4 MW. Along with the desired national train control system, the locomotives can also be equipped with the latest European Train Control System (ETCS). The locomotives are built in the Siemens Mobility plant in Munich-Allach, Germany. The first Vectron was delivered in 2012. Siemens Mobility has sold over 1,000 Vectrons to date to a total of 49 customers. The Vectron fleet has accumulated more than 300 million kilometers of service so far. The locomotives are currently certified for operation in 19 countries. For freight transport in Germany, Siemens Mobility also offers the Smartron standard locomotive and the Vectron Dual Mode, a combination of diesel and electric locomotive.
The breath-taking rise of Bangkok to become a leading business center in Asia created a basic challenge for the city to ensure the mobility of millions of people. Before 1999, people used to take a bus, motorcycle or taxi for almost 80 per cent of their daily travel needs. This created congestion in large parts of Bangkok's infrastructure, making traffic jams a daily occurrence. The travel speed in downtown Bangkok was usually less than ten kilometers per hour. This not only affected the mobility of the commuters but had also an impact on the quality of life. Without a working rapid transit and mainline traffic concept, Thailand's capital was bound to grind to a standstill.
Shifting freight transport to rail has its limitations. Therefore, a share of this transport will need to be carried out by trucks that combine reliable service with minimum environmental impact. The eHighway system is twice as efficient as conventional internal combustion engines. This Siemens Mobility innovation supplies trucks with power from an overhead contact line. This reduces local air pollution and contributes significantly to the decarbonization of the transport sector.
Bane NOR, the state-owned agency responsible for the Norwegian national railway infrastructure, has contracted Siemens to upgrade the signaling equipment of the entire Norwegian rail network to the European Train Control System (ETCS). Commissioning of the rollout lines is scheduled to be completed by 2034. The contract also includes services for 25 years and is worth around 800 million euros in total.
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.
The VAG Verkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft Nuremberg has ordered 27 type G1 four-car metro trains from Siemens Mobility. The contract also includes an option for a total of a further 7 trains. These trains are earmarked for service on Nuremberg's U1 line. The trains will be built in the Siemens Mobility plant in Vienna. Core components of the G1 will be manufactured in the Nuremberg metropolitan area and include such products as the drive converters, traction motors, auxiliary converter units and control equipment. The project management, development and service support will be provided from Erlangen.
Connected and self-driving vehicles are on the horizon. Autonomous taxis and minibuses could cover the last mile between homes and public mass transit and long-distance transport hubs, helping make private cars superfluous in cities and relieving congestion. In rail transport as well, fully automated systems and connectivity can help satisfy the rapidly growing demand for mobility. Making vehicles and infrastructure more intelligent can ensure better availability and make mobility safer. All this adds up to vastly improved urban environments.
Siemens is working with municipalities, public transit authorities and research institutes to develop these transport concepts.
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.