Vossloh wins order from China to supply world's first zero-emission high-speed grinding trains

Vossloh, a long-established and world-leading supplier of rail infrastructure products and services, was awarded a trendsetting contract for the supply of three high-speed grinding trains (HSG-city) for use in the metro network of the southern Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen at the beginning of this year. By coupling to the electric traction unit, the newly developed grinding train draws its power from the conductor rail and can therefore be operated completely emission-free.

"With our portfolio of innovative products and services for the rail track, we as a company make a major contribution to sustainable mobility worldwide. True to our guiding principle 'enabling green mobility', the development of an emission-free HSG-city is another consistent step on our green path. In this way, we want to contribute to leaving future generations an ecosystem that is as intact as possible," explains Oliver Schuster, CEO of Vossloh AG.

HSG (High-Speed Grinding) technology is used for preventive maintenance of the rail network. Based on a grinding process that is unique worldwide, Vossloh maintenance machines can be used at a speed of 80 km/h on mainline lines or up to 60 km/h on urban transport lines. This means that maintenance work can be carried out during ongoing operations without the need for timetable adjustments or even line closures. Regular use of the HSG machines effectively prevents rail defects, significantly increases rail service life and clearly reduces rail noise.

Especially in China's fast-growing mega-metropolises, the expansion of local public transport is progressing at a rapid pace. Rail networks are being extended and traffic density is increasing. Demand for highly efficient maintenance technology from Vossloh is rising accordingly. More than 17 million people currently live in the Shenzhen metropolis and the metro registers up to 7 million passengers daily. The local rail network covers more than 400 km and is to be extended to over 1,000 km in the long term.

"China is and remains a particularly important market for us, also in the service business. Including the three HSG-city's for Shenzhen Metro we have received orders for the delivery of a total of eight HSG-city's and one VTM compact milling machine from China in the last 12 months. I am very pleased about this great success and the confidence of our customers, which is an impressive proof of our technology leadership," says Jan Furnivall, member of Vossloh's Executive Board.