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01.03.2012 16:43

Siemens to deliver an additional 20 Desiro regional trains to Britain

Contract volume of approximately EUR 170 million

AUTHOR: publics.bg

© Siemens

Siemens Infrastructure & Cities has won a contract to supply 20 Desiro UK electric regional multiple-unit trains. With these trains, the rail operator London Midland will expand its connections for commuters traveling to London and the operator First TransPennine Express will modernize its fleet linking Manchester Airport to the Scottish cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. The contract will be financed by the leasing company Angel Trains Ltd. . The contract volume is about EUR 170 million and includes a maintenance agreement. The delivery period runs from the end of 2013 until the summer of 2014. Maintenance of the trainsets will take place at the Siemens depots in Manchester and Northampton.

The new contract is the latest chapter in the success story of the Desiro UK from Siemens' Rail Systems Division. A decisive factor in landing the contract was the high reliability of Britain's current Desiro fleet. Not only the fleet's technology and material but also the regular maintenance of the rolling stock is crucial for ensuring the trains' high availability. Siemens is also responsible for their maintenance: the company is the only manufacturer to have signed a maintenance agreement for each train delivered in the UK (since 2003). Siemens currently operates six depots in the UK – in Acton, Northam (Southampton), Kings Heath (Northampton), Manchester, York and Glasgow. Together with operators, Siemens also uses four further depots – in Ilford, Leeds, Crewe and Strawberry Hill. Some 650 employees maintain more than 370 trains from the Siemens Desiro family for seven different operators.

Hans-Jörg Grundmann, CEO of the Rail Systems Division notes, "Last year, our fleet traveled a total distance of more than 615,000 kilometers within four weeks without a technical fault. That's nearly as far as a trip to the moon and back. And it's the new British record for a passenger train."

In 2010 and 2011, the international trade magazine Modern Railways bestowed its Golden Spanner and Silver Spanner awards on various series in the Desiro UK fleet for their outstanding reliability.

Siemens has been doing business in the UK for 169 years and has a workforce of approximately 13,000 there. About half of these employees are involved in development and manufacturing. The company's Rail Systems Division has been active in the British market since 1996.

The Siemens Infrastructure & Cities Sector (Munich, Germany), with approximately 87,000 employees, offers sustainable technologies for metropolitan areas and their infrastructures. Its offerings include integrated mobility solutions, building and security technology, power distribution, smart grid applications, and low- and medium-voltage products. The Sector comprises the Divisions Rail Systems, Mobility and Logistics, Low and Medium Voltage, Smart Grid, and Building Technologies.

The Siemens Rail Systems Division (Berlin, Germany) is an international leader in providing rolling stock and related services. Its portfolio covers the full range of vehicles – from railroad cars to metros and locomotives to trams and light-rail vehicles. The Division combines competence in the areas of local, long-distance, and logistical transport to offer comprehensive expertise for environmentally friendly, efficient, and reliable rail vehicles, which are already in use in more than 40 countries.