With populations rising, urbanisation expanding, and the battle against climate change at the top of the agenda for many countries around the world, demand is growing for more efficient, high-performing rail networks.
Governments and operators need future-proof, sustainable systems that they can rely on, while reducing the complexity of large-scale projects with many moving parts – which is why they are increasingly opting for turnkey solutions.
Siemens Mobility has been providing turnkey solutions around the world for decades, with more recent examples of high-profile projects including the high-speed rail network in Egypt, line 1 and 2 for the state-of-the-art metro in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport project.
We spoke with Léon Soulier, Chief Executive Officer of Siemens Mobility’s Turnkey Business Unit, to find out more.
“Things work best when they are connected,” Soulier said. “This is especially true for transportation systems. The biggest benefit a client would have from one of our turnkey systems is that everything is connected and working flawlessly together.
“We make sure that all of the portfolio elements that Siemens has to offer, along with any items that we have to source from the market, are seamlessly integrated to optimise the customer’s needs and wishes.”
Soulier said that with Siemens Mobility’s turnkey solutions, the customer has assurance that the project is progressing as planned and they do not need to invest too much of their own resources.
“They can have a hands-off approach because we take care of all the program and project management,” he said.
“We propel the project forward to meet important milestones. We take care of the logistics and deploy what we call a Project Insight Board to make sure all the data streams of a project are shown to everyone involved in one single platform.
“Together, we know that the client’s dependencies are taken care of.”
Turnkey solutions can be large, complex projects, which Soulier said can include 100,000 line items that need to be completed.
“To give a simple example, if you need to have site access to deploy your first transformer to power up a system, you need to know when that site access is going to be available,” he said.
“Where there are 100,000 of these activities that need to be done, with interdependency between them, that is a challenging job.
“If you’re close to the technology, like we are, you have more insights into how to manage that.”
Time is money
Soulier said there are also scheduling benefits that come with Siemens Mobility’s turnkey solutions.
“Our clients know what they want functionally in terms of capacity of ridership, dwell times at each station and top speed.
“They often have a framework in which they need to find a solution and would look to the market to develop that solution. At Siemens Mobility, we can develop the optimal schedule to cater to this need, which also saves time.”
Siemens Mobility is aware that time is money when it comes to public transport, for both rail operators and commuters, and the business is experienced in delivering projects to deadline.
“In Riyadh, for example, they will have the World Expo in 2030 and the FIFA World Cup in 2034. These are mega events that are driving a timeline, so the customer has come to us looking for a turnkey solution.
“This way they have the assurance of delivery on par with their requirements for the system as well as the scheduling and costing.”
Looking ahead, Soulier said that the project will also reduce traffic congestion by decreasing the number of car trips per day, which will also result in the saving of daily fuel consumption.
“Turnkey projects can act as catalysts for economic growth and development. By enhancing urban mobility through efficient and reliable public transport, we attract investment to these regions and boost local economies.”
Focus on sustainability
Soulier said Siemens Mobility is committed to the sustainable development of societies.
The technology company offers passengers the choice to travel in a more environmentally friendly way, by getting them out of cars and onto rail, in addition to prioritising sustainability in its own operations.
“When we deliver our products and portfolio, we make sure that they are as energy efficient as possible,” he said.
“Additionally, we play our part by accelerating alternative propulsion systems that use battery or hydrogen technology.
“Our life cycle management systems also allow us to extend the life of assets, which in turn, reduces the ecological footprint of our customers’ operations.”
When it comes to turnkey solutions, many of Siemens Mobility’s customers include sustainability requirements within the project scope.
One example is the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport Project, which is the first net-zero infrastructure project that requires a dedicated team of sustainability professionals to deliver on the carbon neutral goals of the project. Siemens Mobility is part of the Parklife Metro consortium and is in the process of delivering the project on behalf of the New South Wales Government.
“From the start of construction work through to operations, the whole project needs to be carbon neutral; which we haven’t seen before,” Soulier said. “So it’s an opportunity to set ourselves apart. This is a contract where we have to fulfil those requirements, so we have to not just do it, but prove how we’re doing it.”
Another sustainability deliverable lies in the economic and social impacts.
“Beyond offering and integrating sustainable systems and products, we prioritise responsible supply chain management and optimise our own operations.
“With our Egypt High Speed Project, for example, we are creating over 40,000 direct jobs and launched several local training and education initiatives to prepare young people for careers in rail with real-world experience.”
Working together
Turnkey solutions often require a consortium and Siemens Mobility is up to the task of making sure everyone is on the same page to deliver the solution for the customer.
“When we build a railway together with our partners end-to-end, we’re often starting from a greenfield project where there are a lot of stakeholders to take into account,” said Soulier.
“Whether it’s an acceptance of the train according to local standards or a station that must adhere to various safety regulations, or a full integration of flight data into the train, it needs to be a reliable system.
“For the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport project, the airport is still under construction, so throughout the life cycle of the project we need to engage and design the interface with the stakeholders.”
Soulier said another factor to consider is the human element.
“An important part of the project is the need to take care of people with reduced mobility and certain interest groups, to make sure that we integrate their needs, which can vary from city to city or country to country.
“A system might have a completely different set-up in Singapore compared to Munich. As a result, we engage with these stakeholders or interest groups and make sure that the system is fitting the needs of its users and not the other way around.”
Smart technology
Siemens Mobility can digitally increase the availability of rail systems using fewer resources, thanks to a suite of applications called Railigent X.
Railigent X enables rail operators to better understand data, analyse assets and derive actions, resulting in improved reliability, enhanced operation and maintenance for up to 100 per cent system availability.
“All the data we collect from trains, from pressure sensor data to how many times the doors are used to dwell times on the platform, tells the customer how the system is used and how it can be improved, which provides us with predicative maintenance capabilities,” said Soulier.
“In a traditional or more conservative type of operation, a client would buy a fleet of trains and have a certain number of trains to spare because they know that some trains will be out of service for repairs.
“With Railigent X, the client benefits from better-planned maintenance, which helps to avoid down-times and ensures smoother operations.”
Soulier said this brings many advantages to both operators and passengers.
“The operator saves money on equipment, which also benefits the public if it’s taxpayers’ money.
“Passengers also get the reassurance that they are less likely to be stuck on a train for an hour because it’s broken down.
“That reliability that passengers need is a direct result of reliable design and good engineering structure as well as proactive and predictive monitoring and maintenance of the system.”
When it comes to turnkey solutions, Soulier said Siemens Mobility puts its best foot forward.
“We are staking our reputation and credibility on ensuring that the solution is being brought to life,” he said.
“From design to commercial operation, we’re there all the way.”
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