The Siemens Velaro high-speed train is in revenue service worldwide: It runs through Spanish deserts, travels under the hot sun in China and withstands the Russian winter. The latest generation of the supertrain, the Velaro D, will enter revenue service as the new Class 407 ICE 3 for Deutsche Bahn from the end of 2011. But before the first passengers can board the train, the Siemens engineers will thoroughly test its fine mechanics and highly developed electronics.
Manufactured in Krefeld-Uerdingen, the first rail cars are now ready for the test stand. In the climatic wind tunnel of the Rail Tec Arsenal (RTA) in Vienna, the Velaro D will undergo its baptism of fire – in sweltering heat, but also in freezing cold: Does the air conditioning system operate reliably? Do the doors and the front hatch open properly even when covered with thick ice? Does the windshield wiper operate correctly in sticky snow in order to ensure that the driver always has a clear view of the route? To this end, the test scenario goes far beyond the European standards. When the new ICE 3 alias Velaro D will leave the Siemens factory halls, it must be in perfect technical condition. Read More
The technicians working at the Rail Tec Arsenal (RTA) in Vienna do not have an easy job. At temperatures as low as seven degrees below zero, they brave icy wind whilst aligning the snowguns: thick hoses spray an air-water mix onto the trains at high pressure in order to ensure that the mix turns into snow instantly whilst airborne. This technology enables e.g. the production of crusted ice or snow drifts.
