Siemens develops Desiro platform of the second generation for the British market

Erlangen, Germany, A new member joins the Desiro family: On the basis of the success enjoyed by Desiro trains all round the world, Siemens Mobility has developed the Desiro City, a new platform concept for rail rapid transit, regional transport and inter-regional rail services in the United Kingdom (UK). Environment-friendliness as well as a high degree of flexibility, passenger safety and comfort are features that characterize the vehicles of the new generation. The lightweight design of the train and the bogies combined with an intelligent vehicle control system reduce overall energy consumption by up to 50 per cent compared to preceding models. In future, Siemens Mobility intends to offer the Desiro City on the British market.

On the basis of the success enjoyed by Desiro trains all round the world, Siemens Mobility has developed the Desiro City, a new platform concept for rail rapid transit, regional transport and inter-regional rail services in Great Britain. The lightweight design of the train and the bogies combined with an intelligent vehicle control system reduce overall energy consumption by up to 50 per cent compared to preceding models.

The Desiro City was developed on the basis of the proven Desiro UK platform in a two-year research program with a volume of around 50 million euros. The trains can be used in a variety of applications – for connections between cities, for inner-city transport as well as for linking up the suburbs to the megacity London. The Desiro City can be operated in single mode (750 V direct voltage or 25 kV alternating voltage) or in dual mode. A maximum operating speed of 160 kilometers per hour is possible.

As a single-car train, all the traction equipment of the Desiro City is integrated in a car. This means that the composition of the train with three to twelve cars can be adapted to the number of passengers expected. The modular structure of the individual car thus enables different train lengths from 62 to 240 meters. Thanks to better interior fixtures and furnishings, the new generation of trains offers greater comfort and flexibility. Due to an interior layout concept that can be selected individually, the Desiro City can accommodate up to 25 per cent more passengers than the predecessor model. Depending on needs and the specific train assignment in each case, the number of seats as well as the distance between them can be varied. This results in additional standing room and space for bicycles and wheelchairs.

More comfort for the passengers is also provided by an air-conditioning system with CO2 sensors which automatically regulate the interior climate according to the actual number of passengers. Apart from wider intercar gangways that allow unobstructed views in the interior, the new platform concept also has two kinds of entrance doors: sliding pocket doors for faster boarding and alighting by passengers during short stops at stations and swing-plug sliding doors for regional transportation.

Proven solutions with modern technology

Due to the lightweight design of the aluminum bodyshell, the lighter bogie and an intelligent energy management system, the Desiro City is very environmentally-friendly and highly economical in terms of energy. Numerous technical improvements results in up to 50 per cent reduction in energy consumption compared to the previous vehicles. The bogies, for example, have been improved to make them particularly compact and light. For this purpose, the distance between wheelsets has been reduced to 2,100 millimeters and the bearing has been moved inwards. This leads to less wear on the track and reduces wheelset maintenance. Compared to the current Desiro fleet in Great Britain, the Desiro City is up to 25 per cent lighter. Moreover, 95 per cent of the materials used for the new generation can be recycled.

The low-consumption driving mode of the new fleet is made possible by an enhanced on-board control system, which regulates the speed according to needs, depending on the level of route utilization. In addition, the energy consumption of all auxiliary equipment can be minimized.

“The high flexibility and environment-friendliness of these trains are what characterizes the development of this second Desiro generation. What’s more, with this innovative platform concept, we have succeeded in reducing life cycle costs on a lasting basis”, said Ansgar Brockmeyer, Head of the Public Transit Segment of Siemens Mobility.

Many years of local service experience

The new Desiro City platform is based on Siemens’ many years of local service experience. As the sole manufacturer, the company has signed a service contract for every delivered train in Great Britain and is thus responsible for the maintenance of almost 1,500 cars, which are currently being used in the entire British railway network between London and Scotland. The experience thus gained has been funneled into development of the second Desiro generation.

Like the previous Desiro UK models, all future Desiro City trains will be tested in Siemens’ Test and Validation Center for rail vehicles in Wegberg-Wildenrath, Germany. Here, the trains can be tested under exactly the same operating conditions as found in the UK. After successful testing, the trains can be seamlessly integrated in ongoing train operations in the country for which they are destined.

You can find a photo for this press release at:
http://www.siemens.com/mobility-pictures/Desiro-city

The Siemens Industry Sector (Erlangen, Germany) is the worldwide leading supplier of production, transportation, building and lighting technologies. With integrated automation technologies as well as comprehensive industry-specific solutions, Siemens increases the productivity, efficiency and flexibility of its customers in the fields of industry and infrastructure. The Sector consists of six Divisions: Building Technologies, Drive Technologies, Industry Automation, Industry Solutions, Mobility and Osram. With around 222,000 employees worldwide Siemens Industry posted a profit of EUR3.86 billion with revenues totaling EUR38 billion in fiscal year 2008 (ended September 30). www.siemens.com/industry

The Mobility Division (Erlangen, Germany) is the internationally leading provider of transportation and logistics solutions. With its “Complete mobility” approach, the Division is focused on networking the various modes of transportation in order to ensure the efficient transport of people and goods. “Complete mobility” combines the company’s competence in operations control systems for railways and traffic control systems for roadways together with solutions for airport logistics, postal automation, traction power supplies and rolling stock for mass transit, regional and mainline services, turnkey systems as well as forward-looking service concepts. www.siemens.com/mobility