Global technology giant Siemens will be a key exhibitor at AusRAIL PLUS, displaying a range of innovative solutions and digital technologies for the rail industry. Max Eichhorn, Executive General Manager of Siemens’ Mobility division in Australia and New Zealand, spoke about the company’s stand at this year’s event.
Rex: Tell us about Siemens in Australia and New Zealand.
Max: Siemens has been active in Australia for 145 years, with one of our earliest projects being an electric tramcar network in Hobart back in 1893. Today, you will find Siemens technologies across the rail industry in Australia and New Zealand, ranging from rail electrification technology in Auckland and Sydney to rolling stock in Melbourne, from locomotives in Queensland and the Pilbara to ETCS in Adelaide. With 500 employees, including the largest assembled group of rail signalling engineers in the Southern hemisphere, today we play a leading role in the digitalization of the rail industry, implementing proven global technology with local expertise across Australia and New Zealand.
Rex: What is Siemens exhibiting at AusRAIL PLUS 2017?
Max: We are displaying a wide range of technologies and solutions, including an ETCS simulator that lets visitors take control of a train along a route and switch between Automatic Train Operation (ATO) mode and human driven mode, and then compare punctuality and energy efficiency between the two driving modes. We’ll also be displaying our Mobility Services Centre, which demonstrates the enormous potential of data analytics in rail networks, showing how operators are able to achieve 99% availability on their networks using our digital services. The brand new locally designed, developed and manufactured M23A MkIII point machine, a robust and reliable machine that is already being trialled in various sites across Australia and South America, will also be on display. Visitors will find a range of rail automation and industrial communication technologies, along with a 3D printing and additive manufacturing showcase. A leading edge network capacity management tool from HaCon, and the locally developed digital track and wheel condition monitoring solutions from MRX Technologies, will also be on display.
Rex: Who will visitors be able to meet at your stand?
Max: There will be a range of local and international Siemens team members at our stand, including Dr Gerhard Kress – the head of our Mobility Data Services area. Experts in ETCS, rail automation, data analytics, trackside equipment and a variety of other areas will also be present, along with members of our sales and business development team.
Rex: Flipping things around for a moment: What is Siemens hoping to achieve at AusRAIL PLUS 2017? What are some things about the conference and exhibition you are looking forward to?
Max: At AusRAIL PLUS, Siemens is hoping to strengthen our existing relationships with customers and build new ones. We have been participating in this event for a long time and look forward to the opportunity to hear from experts and leading practitioners in our field, and of course we’re proud to have a number of papers being presented in the technical streams. Personally I am looking forward to hearing from Dr Gerhard Kress, a world-renowned expert on big data and ‘the internet of trains’, who will be presenting a keynote on digitalization in the rail industry during the plenary session on the final morning.
You can visit Siemens at Stand #142 at the AusRAIL PLUS 2017 Conference & Exhibition, which takes place in Brisbane from November 21 to 23. Find out more at AusRAIL.com.