Siemens Welcomes Return of Rail Services

Melbourne, 8 February 2007

Siemens welcomes the decision by Connex to return withdrawn Siemens trains back to Melbourne’s public transport network following intensive testing and clearance by the independent Rail Safety Regulator.

Mr Albert Goller, Chairman and Managing Director of Siemens Australia and New Zealand, said Siemens and Connex had identified the issues which led to the withdrawal of the trains and had established an ongoing process to work with all parties, including train drivers, to resolve the issue.

“We recognise the current inconvenience caused to rail commuters; however, we support the methodical and responsible approach being adopted by Connex, the Department of Infrastructure, and the State Government.”

“All parties realised early in the investigation the overshoots are the result of an extremely complex interaction of the train and the infrastructure on which the train operates (the wheel / rail interface which is affected by weather conditions such as rain). The safety of passengers, drivers, the public and the rail system was, is and will continue to be at all times a paramount consideration,” said Mr Goller.

Siemens would like to clarify a few of the issues raised in the media during the past week:

• Siemens train brake systems are world standard, supplied by one of the world’s most reputable suppliers, Knorr Bremse, and feature a highly automated control system for better brake performance;
• Other trains in Melbourne have similar brake systems;
• No hardware, software or component failures have been found on the Siemens trains;
• No inadequate maintenance procedures have been identified;
• The trains were accepted by all parties in 2003 and shown to perform to the required specifications;
• The trains are being returned to service as six-car sets without any modifications;
• Under normal adhesion conditions the Siemens train brakes perform better than others, with a higher deceleration rate and shorter stopping distance;
• The train operation reported by drivers at the time of the overshoots has been recreated in test conditions by simulating extremely low adhesion conditions by applying soap and oil to the test track. It is this extremely low adhesion condition which is the root cause of the longer than usual stopping distance;
• Adhesion is achieved by the interface of the train’s wheels with the track. Connex and Monash University are currently investigating why the adhesion is so exceptionally low in some locations;
• Until the very low adhesion conditions are addressed, the Siemens trains will revert to a six-car operation, as was the requirement until October 2005 and is still the case with the Xtrapolis trains.
• In this configuration and under the extremely poor adhesion conditions the six-car trains are safe to operate;
• Siemens and Knorr Bremse are able to modify the highly automated functions to provide the driver with more manual control.

The testing procedures have demonstrated that, in a six-car configuration, the trains perform to the satisfaction of Siemens, Connex and its drivers and the Safety Regulator. All other withdrawn trains will be subject to the same test and will be returned to service as soon as possible.

“At all times Siemens places safety as our primary priority and has at no time found evidence which would lead Siemens to recommend, in accordance with global safety standards, the trains be taken out of service for technical reasons.”