Passenger Trains > NCTD Oceanside finally officially orders Siemens non-FR

http://www.siemens.com/index.jsp?sdc_p=cflmno1191658ps4u18

Siemens to supply multiple units to the USA for the first time: Order
for twelve Desiro Classics for the Oceanside-Escondido project in California

Erlangen, Jun 24, 2004

Siemens Transportation Systems (TS) has received the order from the
transit agency North County Transit District (NCTD) for the supply of
twelve Desiro Classic two-car diesel multiple units. The order is worth
over $50 million and marks the first time that TS is to supply multiple
units to the USA.

“For Siemens it is the entry into the US market for trains. It‘s a big
success, and indeed a milestone success,” said Dietrich G. Möller,
president of the TS trains division, responding to the news of the order
award. The vehicles are earmarked for NCTD’s “Sprinter“ regional
transportation project that is to provide passenger rail service on an
existing freight branch line connecting the Southern Californian cities
of Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos and Escon-dido. The line is 22 miles
long, serves 15 stations and runs extensively parallel to High-way 78.
Due to be inaugurated next year, it will offer bi-directional service
every 30 minutes for a total of 64 train journeys daily. The diesel
multiple unit (DMU) vehicles will be built for a top speed of 55 mph and
cover the distance between Oceanside and Escondido in 54 minutes, thus
making them 21 minutes faster than the existing express bus connection.

The Desiro Classic multiple units ordered by NCTD largely conform to
those Desiros being used in Europe, such as the VT 642 vehicles operated
by German Rail (DB AG). One major difference will be the absence of a
first-class section and WC modul, thus raising the total capacity to 136
seated and 90 standing passengers. Besides that, the trains will be
equipped with more powerful air-conditioning systems in order to cope
with the higher ambient tem-peratures.

The Desiros for NCTD will be manufactured in Germany at Siemens’
Krefeld-Uerdingen plant and will then be transported by truck and ship
directly to the customer. Delivery of the DMU vehicles is scheduled to
start in fall 2005 and end by July 2006.

The name Desiro stands for a Siemens TS multiple-unit concept uniting
cost-effectiveness and comfort. Multiple units from the Desiro family of
trains can be deployed both in regional rail and in mass transit
service. The modular construction concept gives the operator
consid-erable possibilities with regard to, for example, the interior
design, the train control system and the propulsion system. The
standardized components, which have proven reliable in daily passenger
service in Germany, Denmark, Hungary and Rumania, ensure high
availabil-ity of the vehicles and low lifecycle costs.

The two-car vehicles come with diesel-mechanical drives. Thanks to the
large low-floor area, i.e. due to the very low difference in height
between platform and doorsill, these vehicles offer passengers a high
degree of comfort when boarding and exiting. The amenities of the
interior design include, among other things, the onboard information
system with digital and acoustic next-stop announcement and the separate
spaces for parking baby carriages, wheelchairs and bicycles. Other
positive features are the bright and spacious interior, the large window
bands, and the air-conditioning system. Air-suspension trucks contribute
to a high degree of riding comfort.

The two autonomous six-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine units with
five-speed automatic transmission each have an output rating of 315
kilowatts and meet the emission standards set by Euro III, underlining
the importance of environmental protection and the need to keep the
Californian exhaust norm EPA TIER 2.

Desiro multiple units can be found in service not only at German Rail
(DB AG), which has fol-lowed up an initial order for 150 vehicles with
one for another 84. Diesel-powered Desiros are also being used by a
number of regional railway lines in Germany such as the Vogtlandbahn in
Saxony, Thuringia and Bavaria, the Kahlgrundbahn in Hesse, the
Nordwestbahn in Lower Saxony, and the Lausitzbahn in Saxony and
Brandenburg. Outside Germany, the biggest or-der placed for Desiro
diesel multiple units came from the Romanian State Railway, that called
for 120 vehicles and includes an option for another 104 units. Other
orders have been re-ceived from Austria (20 units), from Hungary (13
units) and from the Danish State Railway (12 units).

The Transportation Systems Group (TS) of Siemens AG is one of the
leading international suppliers to the railways industry. As single
source supplier and system integrator, the Group combines in its
business segments Automation & Power, Rolling Stock, Turnkey Systems and
Integrated Services all the expertise necessary to cover the spectrum
from signaling and control systems to traction power supplies, as well
as rolling stock for mass transit, regional and main line services.
Extensive experience in project management and forward-looking service
concepts complement our portfolio. In fiscal 2003 (ended September 30)
TS generated sales of EUR4.7 billion with a staff of around 17,700 the
world over. Further information on TS can be found at
www.siemens.com/transportation

Lesley Nicol
lesley.nicol@siemens.com
Public Relations Manager
Siemens Transportation Systems

Wonder what tipped the scale towards Siemens vs. Colorado Railcar?

john1082 Wrote:

> Wonder what tipped the scale towards Siemens vs.
> Colorado Railcar?

Just a guess here, but it could be that one design is a
pathetic, unworkable joke and the other isn't.

As far as I know (and I talked with NCTD in 2002 about this), the plan was always to use an off-the-shelf, non-FRA-compliant vehicle. There will be temporal separation between the Desiro trains and the BNSF local that works industries on the line (freight at night, passenger trains during the day).

There will be two short pieces of passenger-only track: about a mile parallel to the Surf Line from Escondido Jct. into the Oceanside Transportation Center (rail/bus station), and a loop through the campus of Cal State University. Freight trains will continue to use the original alignment.

Should be a nice ride. I followed the line closely by car, but couldn't ride since construction had not yet begun.

Any pictures available of these cars?

I have ridden this equipment numerous times in Germany at 120 kmh (80 mph). Very comfortable. Very safe. Good acceleration.

Indeed a proven product.

FRA specs can go hang.

jst3751 Wrote:

> Any pictures available of these cars?

You could have run the following searches more quickly than
asking the question:
http://images.google.com/images?q=%22vt642%22
http://images.google.com/images?q=%22vt%20642%22
http://images.google.com/images?q=siemens+desiro

There are a ton of web sites in German, which you
don't need to read to look at pictures. Searching
for "vt 642" and "vt642". "br642" "br 642" and
"baureihe 642" ("baureihe" = "class") should keep
you entertained for weeks.
For example
http://www.bahnbilder.de/index.php3?name=galerie&kategorie=Deutschland+%2F+Triebz%FCge+%2F+BR+642+%28DESIRO%29&suchbegriff=&proseite=500

Here's a nice selection of images of various trains labelled
as being in the modular "Desiro" product line:
http://www.dwrweb.de/bahn/fahrzeug/desiro/

I'm sure you'll get the idea.

Kinda resembles the O-Trains in Ottawa 'cept them are called "Talent" 643s or some such, iirc they're also Bombadeers.


TCS - bombing ducks and lakers.

Why didn't they just heavy rail Coasters instead of bringing in a new type of equipment for the line?

Cheaper to purchase, cheaper to operate and may get by with just one operator, in place of two required on Coaster.

They are nothing more then a diesel powered,
light rail car, that should do very well on this line.

Colorado Rail car costs more money as its built to standard FRA requirments so that it can be used on main line,mixed with freight and conventional passenger.

This sounds like the answer to me.

Thx

mundo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Cheaper to purchase, cheaper to operate and may
> get by with just one operator, in place of two
> required on Coaster.
>
> They are nothing more then a diesel powered,
> light rail car, that should do very well on this
> line.
>
> Colorado Rail car costs more money as its built to
> standard FRA requirments so that it can be used on
> main line,mixed with freight and conventional
> passenger.