SIEMENS: ‘Rethinking mobility’ will be Siemens’ slogan at InnoTrans 2016, where the company will be focusing on digital innovations intended to make the transport industry more competitive and attractive. Siemens will be looking towards the year 2050, when an estimated 70% of the world's population will be living in cities and will expect their daily transport to be flexible, faster, more reliable and affordable.

There will be six Siemens rolling stock exhibits in the outdoor section of InnoTrans 2016:

  • One of the 1 524 mm gauge Vectron locomotives which are scheduled to enter service with Finland’s VR in 2017;
  • Cityjet EMU for Austrian Federal Railways’ suburban and regional services;
  • Velaro high speed train for Turkey’s TCDD;
  • Driverless metro trainset for Riyadh in Saudi Arabia;
  • Catenary-free Avenio low-floor tram for Doha in Qatar.
  • Desiro City EMU being built to increase capacity on UK operator South West Trains’ London suburban routes.

Siemens’ indoor displays will focus on technology for the cost-effective maximisation of the reliability and availability of both rail vehicles and the infrastructure they use. Digitalisation plays a key role, with Siemens technicians having regular access to vehicle data via redundant secure wireless links. This data is then analysed in a central diagnostics system to predict future faults and provide recommendations for maintenance, meaning faults can be identified well in advance of any failure.

Automation is now expanding beyond metros to include regional and long-distance rail transport, with urban rail ATO being coupled with ETCS Level 2 for London's Thameslink project. Siemens believes partly-automated driving will be the basis for further developments, and says its goal is to have fully-automated operation of long-distance trains by 2030.

Siemens will also show its passenger internet and entertainment offerings, the integration of CCTV and travel information, all designed to make public transport simpler, safer and more comfortable.

  • Railway Gazette is the official international media partner for InnoTrans 2016, which will be held at the Messe Berlin exhibition centre from September 20 to 23 2016.