California calling
RICHARD CLINNICK reports from California, where Siemens is using the local supply chain and workforce to build trains and trams that will support growth across the country
On the west coast of America, Siemens is making big strides in terms of delivery of trains for the local railways. Much like plans being made in the UK, these trains are built by people who live local to the manufacturing facilities.
The company’s first order from North America came in 1975, for vehicles that would operate in Edmonton, Canada; these were imported from Germany. Further deals followed, with the first order for the USA in 1980 (for San Diego). In 1983 the first USA vehicle assembly was completed, following the introduction of the Buy America Act that year. This mandated that trains to run in the USA would have to be built there. So in 1984 the company established a vehicle assembly facility in Sacramento, California, which at the time was a leased facility.
President of Siemens Rolling Stock USA Michael Cahill explains that in 1992 Siemens established a permanent facility at Sacramento, and that was where initial engineering activities took place.
The plant’s capabilities have been considerably enhanced in the 21st century. In 2006 car shell manufacturing was added, followed three years later by bogie manufacturing. In 2012 locomotive manufacturing began after a decision was made to change the strategy from light rail transit and branch out into other markets.
There isn’t a huge market for electric trains in America, due to the relative lack of overhead line electrification.
Cahill explains that with over 220,000 miles of railway in the country, the costs are prohibitive, with diesel the preferred motive power for the time being. He says there are plans for OLE on West Coast corridors, but it is accepted that this will take time. However, emissions are also an issue in the States, and Siemens was the first to bring a Tier 4-compliant locomotive to the market.
In 2015 passenger coach building started, and these were constructed out of stainless steel. Cahill says that by early 2017 there were more than 1,000 employees working at the site - in 1984 there were just 34. In California overall, Siemens has almost 3,000 employees working on a number of projects. Eighty per cent of the site’s power comes from solar energy. The site is now the North American manufacturing headquarters for Siemens Rolling Stock. In the past three decades, Siemens has invested some $100 million in the plant and staff.
The supply chain is also vital, and within the LRT market there are 184 suppliers from almost 30 states working with Siemens.
Today Siemens is the market leader in light rail and passenger locomotives in North America, and has a visible presence in most major regions. It has an enviable reputation in a number of key areas: reliability, digital diagnostics and automation, passenger experience, asset management optimisation and modular design. With a national presence in the USA of more than 30 years, and with its understanding of local needs, Siemens enjoys long-term customer loyalty.
Since 1980, the plant has produced light rail vehicles and streetcars for San Francisco, Charlotte, Calgary, Denver, Twin Cities (Minneapolis-St Pauli), Seattle and San Diego, while locomotives and trainsets have been built for IDOT (Illinois Department of Transportation), Caltrans (California Department of Transportation), WSDOT ( Washington State Department of Transportation), MARC (Maryland Area Regional Commuter), SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) and Brightline.
Cahill says Siemens prefers to view cities as accounts not contracts, which is down to the fact there are many repeat orders from existing clients. The American market differs to Europe in that a greater emphasis is put on reliability rather than innovation, but the funding is different. For example, most public agencies have to achieve more with less money, and Cahill says Siemens has been able to facilitate this through the development of modular designs, which keeps the costs down.
There is a strong lobby for accessibility and mobility in the USA, which is reflected in the designs of its trains and LRT.
The site at Sacramento covers 60 acres and there’s scope for expansion, should the company win further orders.
We wanted someone who knew better than us about what would work. John Haley, Director of Transit, SMFTA
The site is certainly busy. Under construction are trams for San Francisco, Calgary, and locomotives for Caltrans, Washington, Illinois and Maryland. The high-speed trainsets for Brightline in California are also at various stages of construction; these are for the Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach corridor, but have been funded privately. Building full trainsets for the USA is another first for Siemens. These will operate with a locomotive on each end and their introduction will happen in phases; each trainset is also a different colour.
Called ‘Chargers’, with a fleet value of $ 425m, these 4,400hp machines are capable of 125mph. They are 100% Buy America compliant as well, and it’s the first time the company has delivered its proven dieselelectric locomotives in America.
These Tier 4 locomotives feature a singlecab design and are fitted with a Cummins 16-cylinder engine that feeds an alternator, while the IGBT traction converters provide a single-axle control for 125mph running. They also have dynamic braking, which allows traction motor energy to feed the Auxiliary and HEP systems to minimise fuel consumption. They reduce emissions by approximately 90% compared to existing Tier 0 locomotives. Siemens has a lot of orders for these Bo-Bo locomotives on its books.
On test is a tram for Calgary, the design of which was decided by a vote in a local newspaper. It has been created to look not unlike a hockey mask, such is the fondness for the sport in the Canadian city.
Further south, in San Francisco, Siemens is delivering 215 S200 light rail vehicles for San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) and its 71.4-mile network. This is the largest order the company has ever received for light rail vehicles in the States. The original order, placed in 2015, was for 175, but that was increased by 40 a year later.
SFMTA’s existing fleet of 151 vehicles is more than 20 years old, and now it’s being replaced and expanded with the new trams.
This is to meet growing demand on six lines that carry a total of 235,000 passengers per day. The new Siemens vehicles have high energy efficiency, including regenerative brakes. The manufacturer says they are easy to maintain and offer extensive recycling opportunities at the end of their careers. They have been fitted with digital diagnostic systems to ensure a high availability.
The first vehicles were delivered in January. The articulated two-car sets can travel on gradients of 1-in-11 (9%), have a 50mph maximum speed and can be reconfigured to run in trainsets of up to five cars in length.
San Francisco has wanted an environmentally friendly mass transit system, and so the trams have a lightweight drive system that recuperates braking energy and feeds it back into the overhead power line. Electric brakes stop the trains without dust emissions and reduce lifecycle costs. The trams have LED lighting, which reduces lighting energy consumption by up to 40%. Each car is fitted with 60 seats, with four areas for wheelchairs or bicycles; overall, a two-car tram can carry 203 passengers.
This is vital for supporting such a huge
The city has exciting economic and environmental goals which rely heavily on a mass transit system. John Haley, Director of Transit, SMFTA
transit division. The SMFTA fleet has over 1,000 vehicles in total, including buses, railcars and cable cars. Public perception is improving, and the SMFTA is preparing for growth - there will be an extra 130,000 new households and 310,000 new jobs in the region by 2040. Ridership on light rail is expected to increase by more than 80,000 passengers per day.
The S200s will be used to enable a more frequent service, and consideration is also being given to running express trains to improve capacity.
SMFTA Director of Transit John Haley says that the transformation of San Francisco’s transport system is “exciting, both in the short and the long term.”
The city is a transit-first city with a public body that stipulates that transport must come first. There is a $1.4bn procurement process under way to modernise the entire transport system. Lessons have been learned from existing fleets, including the realisation that perhaps too few were ordered previously. Says Haley: “The city has exciting economic and environmental goals which rely heavily on a mass transit system.”
He highlights overcrowding, but the new policy regarding various orders seeks to remedy this. SMFTA is also reacting to the public, which voted for the transport modes to be related, which the investment in new vehicles seeks to address, he says.
Regarding the S200 deal, Haley said: “We did an industry outreach. We wanted someone who knew better than us about what would work. We wanted three firms to compete and that way we’d get the best car, the best build and a strong relationship.”
He says that the first 64 trams to arrive are an expansion. The aim is also to relieve pressure on the subway. He explains that the ‘Nancy Line’ is the busiest, and reducing overcrowding is a priority.
“We are looking forward to a medium and long-term benefit. Transit is central to the policy objectives of the city, and the city’s future depends on it.”