Exhibition review
SNCF announces initiatives at InnoTrans F
RENCH National Railways (SNCF) had a
strong presence at InnoTrans and used the opportunity to launch its mobility index and several new products to stimulate growth. “We are a major player in mobility, but rail is only 50% of our business - the rest is all types of mobility, so mobility is of great interest to us,” said SNCF president Mr Guillaume Pepy (right) at the launch of the Global SNCF Mobility Index. “We have conducted an innovative survey because we want to understand better the relationship between transport, growth, and employment and in different parts of the world. We believe transport is a key lever of growth and employment, but we want to prove it.” The index was sponsored by
SNCF, authored by Mr André Schneider, and edited by The Global Journal. The index covers 66 countries with verifiable data from the European Union, and the G20 and Bric countries. The index discovered that 21 countries have traffic growth greater than GDP, which will restrict the flow of goods and people in the future, while transport
CO2 emissions have grown in 58 countries between 2000 and 2008 in contradiction of the
Schaeffler reveals new bearings
Schaeffler, the key to remaining competitive is to offer innovative products which are designed to reduce the total cost of ownership. “We are not just focused on original equipment manufacturing (OEM), but also after-sales supported by our large global organisation,” says Dipl-Ing Simone Purbs, director sector rail with Schaeffler.
A For example, the company’s
Kyoto protocol to cut transport emissions.
SNCF hopes the index will give policymakers a deeper understanding of the crucial trends in transport. “Our aim is to launch a debate over the next few years,” says Mr Patrick Ropert, SNCF’s head of communications.
SNCF also launched a new brand,
voyages-sncf.com, to replace the multiplicity of brands it uses to sell train tickets in Europe. This is a growth area which SNCF is keen to develop - SNCF saw online ticket sales jump by 24% in 2011 to ƒ3.2bn. The service comprises 10 websites, mobile apps in six languages, a call centre, and six shops.
As Pepy observes, travel now accounts for 30% of e-commerce on the internet, and new players are entering the market, which SNCF is keen to respond to.
SNCF is also pushing for the development of a Europe-wide rail ticket and is working with the UIC and the Community of European Railways and Infrastructure Companies (CER) to achieve it. Early next year, SNCF plans to launch a low-cost TGV service to simulate what it would be like to face direct competition. The service will use stations around Paris which have lower access charges, and the on-board bar will be replaced with extra seating.
MAN displays new-generation diesel engines M
AN unveiled two new-generation diesel engines for locomotives and dmus at
InnoTrans.
The D2862 LE63x (pictured) is a completely new 24.2 litre 12-cylinder engine, offering outputs ranging from 588kW to 735kW. The engine is based on MAN’s latest V12, which is already in widespread
agricultural, marine, and industrial use, and has a height of 850mm, making it suitable for underfloor applications. The turbocharger has
30
new FAG housing units (pictured) launched at InnoTrans can be re-lubricated for the rotor bearing supports of electric drives such as traction motors. This reduces maintenance costs because it is
CCORDING to railway component specialist,
no longer necessary to remove and dismantle the motors and bearings.
been moved to the side of the engine to allow easy access for maintenance, although MAN can supply the D2862 LE63x with a centrally- mounted turbocharger if required. The D2862 LE63x is compliant with EU Stage IIIB emissions standards, and employs Selective Catalytic Reduction
(SCR) technology
from MAN’s current range of lorry engines. Also on display at
InnoTrans was MAN’s new D2876 LEU63x 12.8 litre V6, which is smaller than its predecessor
but more powerful, with an output of up to 390kW at 1800rpm.
Monitoring systems are being developed in cooperation with customers, such as the TSS-F wheelset generator for freight trains and the TSS-P bogie frame monitor for passenger trains. Such systems can provide real benefits to operators by providing real- time information about the status of components and systems, the only problem is the potential proliferation of such systems on trains. “In the next two to four years we expect to have a clear idea of how to monitor systems on a train without having lots of different systems,” says Purbs. “The problem is that electronics is developing much faster than railway technology. We have to consider what to do if a system is no longer available after say five years. These are issues that have to be resolved.”
IRJ November 2012
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