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Passenger Trains > NCTD Oceanside finally officially orders Siemens non-FRDate: 06/25/04 10:02 NCTD Oceanside finally officially orders Siemens non-FR Author: mly 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. Its 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 NCTDs 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 Date: 06/25/04 10:52 Re: NCTD Oceanside finally officially orders Siemens no Author: john1082 Wonder what tipped the scale towards Siemens vs. Colorado Railcar?
Date: 06/25/04 11:22 Re: NCTD Oceanside finally officially orders Siemens no Author: mly 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. Date: 06/25/04 12:09 Re: NCTD Oceanside finally officially orders Siemens no Author: rresor 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. Date: 06/25/04 12:24 Re: NCTD Oceanside finally officially orders Siemens no Author: jst3751 Any pictures available of these cars?
Date: 06/25/04 12:24 Re: Siemens "Desiro" DMUs Author: MEKoch 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. Date: 06/25/04 14:36 Re: NCTD Oceanside finally officially orders Siemens no Author: mly 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. Date: 06/25/04 14:49 Re: NCTD Oceanside finally officially orders Siemens no Author: TopcoatSmith 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. Date: 06/25/04 15:29 Re: NCTD Oceanside finally officially orders Siemens no Author: millerdc Why didn't they just heavy rail Coasters instead of bringing in a new type of equipment for the line?
Date: 06/25/04 15:39 Re: NCTD Oceanside finally officially orders Siemens no Author: mundo 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. Date: 06/26/04 12:19 Re: NCTD Oceanside finally officially orders Siemens no Author: john1082 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. |