"DEUTSCHLANDTAKT": KNORR-BREMSE TO EQUIP 30 NEW HIGH-SPEED ICE TRAINS
Knorr-Bremse, the global market leader for braking and other systems for rail and commercial vehicles, has concluded a supply contract with Siemens Mobility to equip 30 high-speed trains for Deutsche Bahn.
- Knorr-Bremse and Siemens Mobility conclude contract to equip 30 high-speed ICE trains for Deutsche Bahn, with an option for 60 additional trains
- From the first quarter of 2021 until the third quarter of 2024, Knorr-Bremse will supply braking systems including eddy current brakes and entrance systems with a total order value in the mid tens of millions (EUR) to the German train manufacturer
- The trains will strengthen Deutsche Bahn's long-distance services between German conurbations as well as on several international routes, thus contributing to environmentally friendly mobility with high availability
The contract comprises braking and entrance systems and represents a total order value in the mid tens of millions (EUR). Back in 2015, Knorr-Bremse equipped 17 high-speed trains based on the Velaro platform from Siemens Mobility – operated as Intercity Express (ICE) trains in Germany. The new ICE trains will serve routes including Cologne-Frankfurt and Munich-Berlin, offering high availability throughout the Deutsche Bahn network, with a total of around 13,000 seats. They will also be approved for use in the Netherlands and Belgium.
"We are delighted that Knorr-Bremse has secured another contract as equipment partner for the new high-speed ICE trains from Siemens Mobility," says Dr. Jürgen Wilder, Member of the Executive Board of Knorr-Bremse AG and responsible for the Rail Vehicle Systems division. "Our long-standing partnership in the ongoing development of the Velaro platform in Germany and in numerous other countries around the world confirms our position as an innovation leader in the high-speed segment."
"At the same time, with these activities we are helping to bring about green mobility by rail with excellent availability – and thus also helping to realize Germany's 'Deutschlandtakt' vision of a synchronized nationwide rail service," adds Dr. Nicolas Lange, Chairman of the Management Board of Knorr-Bremse Rail Vehicle Systems.
"Deutschlandtakt": Knorr-Bremse on board as systems supplier
From the first quarter of 2021, Knorr-Bremse will supply pneumatic braking systems, eddy current brakes and entrance systems for 30 high-speed trains based on the Velaro platform. As the latest evolution of the ICE 3, the train sets will expand the transport options available on national high-speed lines with speeds of up to 300 km/h and on international routes with speeds of up to 320 km/h and will reinforce the existing fleet. A highlight of these trains for Deutsche Bahn is the eddy current brake, developed by Knorr-Bremse and based on the induction principle for noiseless, frictionless braking. Combined with intelligent brake management, this technology helps, among other things, to significantly reduce wear on brake pads and thus increase sustainability.
Entrance systems from IFE: proven systems for Germany's Intercity Express
In line with the ICE 3 generation that has been in service since 2013, from the first quarter of 2021 Knorr-Bremse will equip the new high-speed trains with fast-closing, pressure-tight entrance systems. These have already proven to be among the most reliable in the existing "white fleet" of ICE trains. Oliver Schmidt, Chairman of the Management Board of Knorr-Bremse GmbH Austria and responsible for Knorr-Bremse’s global entrance systems business, confirms: "As the global market leader for entrance systems, we are proud to be among the successful equipment partners. Our door systems play an important role in the intelligent handling of passenger flows, in cutting waiting times on the platform and enhancing passenger comfort on board."
The first trains are scheduled to start running on routes between North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and Berlin as early as the end of 2022. With a total of 13,000 seats, they will help to increase the speed, availability and comfort of passenger mobility. The new ICE trains mark one of Deutsche Bahn's first major investments under the "Rail Pact" between the German government and the rail sector, and they will play a major role in realizing the "Deutschlandtakt" vision of a synchronized rail service throughout Germany. All in all, higher train frequencies and speeds on the intercity lines can further enhance rail's appeal as a convenient and climate-friendly means of transport. By equipping the new series of ICE trains, Knorr-Bremse is making an important contribution.
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