Siemens Transportation Systems (TS) has received a notification of award of Contract worth Rs. 9250 million (Rs. 925 crores) from the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) for propulsion system and electrical equipment for improving Mumbai Suburban trains.

A Siemens AG and Siemens Ltd. India Transportation Systems consortium has received a Notification of Award of Contract worth Rs. 925 crores from the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) for providing the propulsion system and electrical equipment for EMU rolling stock to be built at the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai. The EMUs will be in operation on both of Mumbai’s suburban arterial networks, the Central and Western Railway. After a competitive bid, the Siemens consortium was notified of the award of Contract to be executed over a period of 48 months.

The scope involves design, development, manufacture, supply, testing and commission of the state-of-the-art IGBT-based (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) three-phase propulsion system and equipment, with microprocessor-based controls.

These systems will be suitable for operation in dual voltages, i.e both the 1500 V direct current (DC) system, which is currently in use, and the 25 kV AC system, which replaces it in the future. These systems are built with the superior know-how and designs of field-proven technology of Siemens AG. They will be adapted to suit the local environmental and climatic conditions and will have a high level of local value-added content. Offering multiple benefits, the modern electrical systems will not only reduce energy consumption, but also increase availability of rakes, resulting in considerable savings for the Railways and enhanced passenger comfort. 

Comments Mr. Schubert, Managing Director, Siemens Ltd., "The stress on Mumbai’s rail infrastructure is increasing by the day, with more and more people using the existing facilities. This World Bank aided investment by the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation is therefore a very important step towards upgrading the services, which will directly benefit millions of passengers. The supply of modern equipment will help ease the congestion, increase capacity and enhance comfort for passengers."

He further added, "We are augmenting capacities at our Kalwa and Nashik factories where the state-of-the-art equipment for this order will be manufactured. This enhancement will create additional employment opportunities, having a long-term impact. Our strong presence and active participation in the transportation sector in India since decades, gives us the advantage of better understanding of local needs. We are therefore able to adapt world-class products and technology for the specific regional requirements."

Explaining the importance of this contract, Mr. V.B. Parulekar, Executive Vice President and head of Transportation Systems Division, says, "This order will indeed provide a further fillip to our business in India. We are gearing up to enhance our overall infrastructure and service set-up for the future maintenance requirements of the Railways. With our vast global experience in this segment, backed by the state-of-the-art technology from Siemens AG, India will definitely benefit from our global expertise. We are looking forward to this cooperation with the Railways and are confident of making this project beneficial and successful for MRVC."

The Transportation Systems Division of Siemens Ltd. is a complete provider of products, systems and services for the Railways. The Division’s portfolio includes solutions for rail automation, railway electrification, light and heavy rail, locomotives, trains, turnkey projects and integrated services.
Siemens Ltd is the flagship of the Siemens Group in India. The Siemens Group is a leading provider of industry and infrastructure solutions in India, with a business volume aggregating about Rs 5,400 crores. It operates in the core business segments of Energy, Industry and Buildings, Information Technology, Communication, Transportation, Healthcare and Lighting. It has a nation-wide Sales and Service network, 13 manufacturing plants, some 500 strong network of channel partners and through its 11 companies, the Siemens Group employs some 10,000 people.