Knorr-Bremse to equip new high-speed trains

Knorr-Bremse has won further major orders in China. The Rail Vehicle Systems Division is to supply brake equipment for an additional 435 high-speed trains as well as door and HVAC systems for some of the car-sets. The company also secured an option to equip a further 110 trains. The volume of business for the Knorr-Bremse Group totals approximately half a billion euros.

In the course of 2013, China Railways, the country’s state-owned railway operator, placed large-scale orders for new trains with three of the four Chinese high-speed train manufacturers. In the context of these orders, all three vehicle builders have commissioned the Chinese subsidiaries and joint ventures of Knorr-Bremse to supply brake systems and bogie equipment for the total of 435 eight-car high-speed trains ordered. In addition, the company was able to secure an option to supply the brake equipment for a further 110 trains.

“In our view these new orders represent a clear mark of confidence in us on the part of our Chinese customers. They tell us that not only the high quality and reliability of our products but also the customer care provided by our employees in China are highly appreciated,” said, Dr. Dieter Wilhelm, Member of the Executive Board of Knorr-Bremse AG responsible for the Rail Vehicle Systems Division. “It is also extremely important for our customers that, despite the tight schedule, we can deliver on time as well as providing the appropriate technical support through our locally-based engineers and service staff.”

Also in the high-speed train sector, Knorr-Bremse and its Chinese joint venture partners have obtained new orders in the door and HVAC system product segments: more than 80 trains are to be equipped with HVAC systems and over 200 with door systems.

The reform of the Chinese Ministry of Railways in the spring of 2013 has been followed by a new wave of investment in railway infrastructure and rail transport. The Chinese rail vehicle industry is expected to hit record output levels in 2014.

Knorr-Bremse has maintained close contacts with China since the late 1970s. Since its first major project in China in 1990, which concerned the supply of brake systems for the Shanghai metro, Knorr-Bremse has been able to build up a leading position in the Chinese market and continually expand that position through a series of successfully implemented projects. In March 2005 the company obtained its first order relating to a high-speed train in China. Just a few months later, this was followed by another substantial order to equip the CRH5 high-speed trains. Then, in 2009, Knorr-Bremse and its partners secured what was then the biggest order in the history of the company to equip the CRH3 series.

Today, including joint ventures, the Knorr-Bremse Group has 13 production plants in China. As a result, the company not only meets the high localization requirements in the Chinese market but can also ensure its customary high standard of quality here too. In 2012 a workforce of over 3,300 employees in China accounted for sales of more than EUR 700 million.