NEW SIEMENS R&D CENTRE IN SPAIN

On 27 April the new Siemens Competence and R&D Centre in Railway Technology was opened. Employing 350 people, the new global centre of competence for signalling and train control will channel an annual investment budget of €20m.

It will focus on Siemens products for main line and metro applications including ERTMS, (European Railway Traffic Management System), PTC (Positive Train Control for industrial and mining applications), CBTC (Communications-Based Train Control), Westrace interlockings and the Rail 9000 CTC traffic control system.

The Centre is provided with a ‘show room’ opened the same day to demonstrate products to customers, partners, institutions and other groups using video walls and high-tech replica workstations. It will also play other important demonstrative, training-related and testing roles.

CITEF has already begun working with Siemens on various projects in the new Competence Centre including development of a simulator, now installed in the showroom, for the Medina-Mecca high speed Haramain line in Saudi Arabia.



El simulator includes the ERTMS N2 system that Siemens has developed especially for this line, the route and traffic simulator and the trains that will be used on the line. The system is designed to enhance line capacity and reduce the intervals between trains, all with significant cost savings.

Further information: Railway Gazzete, Siemens