Nuremberg secures “next 40 years” of metro with Siemens train deal

Nuremberg in Germany is to up its quota of tram trains from Siemens to 27, ordering six more four-car G1 metro vehicles as part of a deal it signed in 2015. Capable of future automated operation that removes the need for a driver, the trains will enter service in 2021 when they will replace 12 of its 25-year-old DT2 electric multiple unit trains.

The operator in charge of running the new rolling stock, VAG Verkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft, said the arrival of the G1 fleet was good news for the Bavarian city and would allow it to “tackle the next 40 years of metro operation”.

“With the G1 train, we'll be launching a new era of underground operation. We can carry more passengers, offer them greater comfort and also improve usability for people with reduced mobility,” said VAG’s Tim Dahlmann-Resing.

According to Siemens, when it was developing the G1 it paid particular attention to improving passenger comfort with wider doors and full-length passenger access, optimising passenger flows and boosting passengers’ perception of security. Equipped with “a comprehensive passenger information system”, passengers are also provided with a traffic light system to indicate when doors are opening and closing, while potentially hazardous openings between the train and platform are diminished through the use of an automatic gap-bridging system. “The G1 has been designed specifically to meet the needs of Nuremberg. All trains can also be converted later to automated operation, making them future-proof over their entire lifecycle,” said Sabrina Soussan, the Siemens Mobility CEO.

The Nuremberg news comes in what has been a positive few months for Siemens, after the company secured the order to provide the next-generation of trains for London’s subterranean network, London Underground (LU). The new fleet will enter service on LU’s Piccadilly line in 2023 as part of the UK capital’s Deep Tube Upgrade Programme, delivering 94 of Siemens' Inspiro trains on one of the oldest lines on the network. Worth around £1.5 billion, the latest fleet will bring the Piccadilly line trains more in line with others on LU, such as the District and Circle, which have a walkthrough-style layout and air conditioning.

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