Frimley, 2011-Mar-24
Siemens' Mobility Division is to establish a new global ‘Rail Innovation Centre of Competence’ in the United Kingdom from March 2011. The Innovation Centre will lead the development of new concepts and technologies to drive performance improvements for the Division’s customers and Siemens’ international rolling stock service business.
The demand for innovation and technology in the rail sector is ever increasing: the accessible world market for rail service is scheduled to grow by more than three per cent annually to €35 billion by 2016. The service business accounts for more than one third of the total rail transportation market worldwide.
Establishing the Rail Innovation Centre in the UK will benefit customers globally by drawing on the extensive experience Siemens has gained from operating trains throughout the UK and serviced at Siemens’ purpose built train maintenance facilities. Siemens is the only manufacturer in the UK which has signed a maintenance contract for each train delivered.
At its new Rail Innovation Centre of Competence in the UK, Siemens will develop modern concepts and technologies to allow condition-based, predictive and preventive maintenance solutions by monitoring the performance of rolling stock in service. By adopting this approach, Siemens aims to improve the safety, reliability and availability of rolling stock, while reducing lifecycle costs through the optimisation of maintenance and repair cycles of systems and components. By techniques such as on line monitoring and interrogation, Siemens technicians can intervene immediately even before a fault occurs.
"With the foundation of the Rail Innovation Centre of Competence, Siemens is responding to the increasing worldwide demand for efficient, safe and reliable rolling stock," explains Nicholas Kay, Manager of the new Innovation Centre. In his previous position Kay, who joined Siemens in 2007, was responsible for developing technical improvements to Siemens' award-winning Desiro fleet in the United Kingdom. "I am looking forward to promoting the development of new service technologies and concepts for Siemens and its international customers from the UK," concludes Nicholas Kay.
Siemens is already responsible for the maintenance of over 370 Desiro trains for seven different operators across nine depots in the UK (Acton, Ardwick, Crewe, Glasgow Shields, Ilford, Leeds, Northampton, Southampton and York). In recognition of their high reliability, the Desiro Class 444 trains operated by South West Trains in London were awarded the "2010 Golden Spanner" in January 2011 by "Modern Railways". In 2010 the fleet traveled 89,000 kilometers on average without a ‘fault-caused failure’ of a train. This record makes the Desiro Class 444 the most reliable train in Britain. "Modern Railways" handed over further awards for reliability to the Desiro Class 360/2, operated in London by Heathrow Express, and the Class 350/2 train, operated by London Midland.
-Ends-
Notes to editors:
About Siemens in the UK
Siemens was established in the United Kingdom 168 years ago and now employs around 16,000 people in the UK. Last year’s revenues were £4.1 billion. As a leading global engineering and technology services company, Siemens provides innovative solutions to help tackle the world’s major challenges, across the key sectors of energy, industry and healthcare. Siemens has offices and factories throughout the UK, with its headquarters in Frimley, Surrey. The company’s global headquarters is in Munich, Germany. For more information, visit www.siemens.co.uk
As part of the Siemens Industry Sector in the UK, Siemens Mobility employs around 1600 people, providing expertise and technology in rolling stock, rail infrastructure, traffic solutions and infrastructure logistics to the UK transport industry.
In Rolling Stock, Siemens Mobility provides and maintains passenger trains for First TransPennine Express, South West Trains, Heathrow Express, National Express East Anglia, Northern Trains, London Midland and ScotRail.
With proven capability in rail automation, Siemens Mobility has delivered a major re-signalling project in the Portsmouth areas, traction power upgrades across the UK and new telecommunications systems in London and the west of England. It is also delivering the GSM-R cab radio solution for the entire UK rolling stock fleet. For more information on Siemens Mobility please visit www.siemens.co.uk/mobility.
For more information, contact:
Emma Whitaker
Siemens plc
Mob: +44 (0)79212 823545
Email: emma.whitaker@siemens.com
