Braking and entrance systems contract awarded for Velaro Egypt trainset

Credit: Siemens Mobility

Knorr-Bremse has been awarded a supply contract by Siemens Mobility. Starting in Q4 2023 and extending to Q1 2026, Knorr-Bremse will be equipping 15 high-speed Velaro Egypt electric multiple units (EMUs) with braking systems and entrance systems. The order includes an option for the equipment of another 26 trainsets. In addition, Knorr-Bremse’s Evac brand will supply sanitary systems for 34 Desiro High-Capacity regional passenger trains built by Siemens Mobility for the Egyptian market, including an option for another 60 sanitary systems.

“In recent years, Egypt has been investing in state-of-the-art infrastructure and railroads, in the urban, regional and high-speed sectors,” Dr. Jürgen Wilder, Member of the Executive Board of Knorr-Bremse AG, said. “We’re delighted to have been awarded this contract, which will allow us to install our technologies in a whole series of new Velaro high-speed trains on behalf of our partner Siemens Mobility. As a systems specialist, this will mean we can contribute to the further development of safe, available, eco-friendly mobility for the people of Egypt.”

Knorr-Bremse will equip the 15 trainsets with braking and entrance systems between 2023 and 2026. The trains will run between Alexandria and other major Egyptian hubs, carrying millions of passengers each year at speeds of up to 230 km/h (155 mph). The orders were placed with Knorr-Bremse in the first and second quarters of 2022. The braking systems will include all bogie equipment, axle-mounted and wheel brake calipers, steel discs and sintered pads, as well as brake control systems with integrated smart braking computers. Compressed air will be supplied by enclosed PistonSupply Eco compressors. The braking system as a whole will deliver safe, highly efficient braking performance in Egypt’s hot, dusty, and consequently rather challenging desert climate.

Similarly, Knorr-Bremse will supply service-proven, reliable, and pressure-tight doors, including boarding aids, for the Velaro trains through the Group’s global IFE brand, the world’s leading supplier of rail vehicle entrance systems. The doors will help keep passengers safe as they enter and exit from railcars and contribute to reliable train connections. In addition, Knorr-Bremse will be fitting 34 of Siemens Mobility’s Desiro High-Capacity regional trains with a total of 136 ultra-reliable toilet systems, including a new type of bidet function. Supplied by the company’s Evac brand, the world’s leading supplier of sanitary systems for trains, the new systems will help enhance passenger comfort while simultaneously improving train availability.

Knorr-Bremse has been an established supplier of systems for Siemens Mobility’s Velaro platform for many years. Velaro trains operate in various configurations in a number of countries with well-developed rail networks, including Germany, the UK and Turkey.