Israel Railways places additional order for Siemens coaches

Israel Railways Corporation Ltd. has just ordered 31 passenger coaches worth EUR47 million from Siemens Mobility. These Viaggio Light type cars are to be deployed in passenger service to enable the operation of the new line linking Tel Aviv with its suburb Rishon Le-Zion. Four years ago Siemens Mobility succeeded in establishing itself in the Israeli railway equipment market with its first order from Israel Railways for 87 passenger coaches that included an option for another 585 cars. This new order is taking up an initial portion of that option.

Siemens Viaggio Light

The contract was officially signed today by Israel Railways and Siemens Mobility. “We are very pleased about this follow-up order, which underscores our good cooperation with Israel Railways. It will raise Israel Railways’ fleet to a total of 118 Viaggio Light vehicles,” said Hans-Jörg Grundmann, CEO of Siemens Mobility, who is currently visiting Israel as a member of an economic delegation headed by German Federal Minister Peter Ramsauer.

Viaggio Light is a low-floor train that is intended not only for regional rail service but also for intercity traffic in Israel. Siemens trains are operated at speeds of up to 160 km/h on the mainline between Nahariya and Modiin and also Beer Sheva in order to meet the rapidly growing demand of passenger ridership in Israel.

As a part of this effort, Siemens Mobility is now to supply 31 passenger coaches, consisting of 27 intermediate cars and 4 driving trailers equipped with diesel-generator sets. These new cars can be combined together with the 87 coaches already delivered to form push-pull trains. As many as 10 cars can be coupled in a train formation. The intermediate cars offer four-place facing seating for 82 passengers, a space reserved for wheelchairs, and a universal toilette. The driving trailers are each equipped with a driver’s cab and machine room, and a passenger compartment with 27 seats. All of the passenger coaches are to be manufactured in the Siemens plant in Vienna commencing delivery to Israel in the course of 2011.

The special features of the Viaggio Light are the high percentage of its low-floor design and the automatic movable steps, both of which enable passengers to board and exit quickly and easily and, therefore, ensure shorter dwell times at stations.

The vehicles just ordered are of the same design as the 87 passenger coaches delivered to Israel under the terms of the main order in 2008 and 2009.