Nearly all train manufacturers worldwide are closely networked with their suppliers and are tied to specific transformer manufacturers. These are usually singlesource or very limited dual-source relationships between selected suppliers and the train manufacturers. It is extremely rare for a manufacturer to switch suppliers, since a train’s complex electrical system requires a great deal of coordination. Changing suppliers is therefore very costly and difficult to implement in most cases.
Breaking up established supplier structures between a train manufacturer and its vendors requires both excellent product quality and an attractive price. The technicians as well as buyers and sales representatives must be persuaded that this is the right way to go. Siemens managed to accomplish this goal with Bombardier
Transportation’s Queensland project.
To have any realistic chance of success with this project, the company needed an extremely aggressive price structure. This was facilitated by rigorously implementing the factory network strategy of Siemens’ transformer business. All factories involved have to work very closely together to optimally contribute their individual strengths.
The Queensland state government is planning to carry out an extensive modernization project, known as New
Generation Rolling Stock, as a way to strengthen its mass transit service in the densely populated region around
Brisbane in southeastern Queensland. In addition, a number of tourist attractions in Queensland, such as the
Gold Coast beaches and amusement parks, are to be more effectively integrated into the public transportation system. A consortium formed by Bombardier Transportation, John Laing, ITOCHU Corporation and Uberior won the contract for this major project.
Bombardier Transportation will supply new trains with transformers from Siemens for mass transit service in Queensland.
Bombardier Transportation will supply, among other things, 75 electric train sets, so-called EMUs. Each of these train sets is equipped with two transformers – and these are supplied by Siemens.
The lead factory in Nuremberg, Germany, developed the design and production technology for the transformers and validated them with six prototypes. Bombardier
Transportation will perform the subsequent system test in its own test center in Sweden. Series production of the 144 transformers will then take place in Siemens’ transformer plant in India (STI TT). This factory will ship the transformers to Bombardier Transportation’s factory in Savli, India, which will manufacture the trains to be placed into service for the end customer in Australia.
As a basic requirement for the contract negotiations between Bombardier Transportation and Siemens, the

Siemens transformer plant in India had to be qualified for the customer. Consultants that were hired first by the end customer and shortly thereafter by Bombardier
Transportation itself successfully audited the factory and approved it for series production.
During the subsequent contract negotiations in
Bombardier Transportation’s Indian plant, the joint presences of representatives of the lead factory in
Nuremberg and the transformer factory in India underscored the great value that both factories place on the collaboration between Bombardier Transportation and
Siemens. Representatives of the management and sales teams from both plants were in attendance, and their joint presence also showed that the Siemens’ factory network functions very well and receives intensive support from everyone involved in order to maximize customer benefit.
The contract for the project is expected to be signed in mid-October 2014. The project kickoff will then take place on STI TT’s premises in October. Numerous preparations still need to be made for this event. The biggest challenge is to provide the necessary infrastructure and to qualify a suitable boiler supplier before series production begins in February or March of next year. The Nuremberg plant is currently developing a design concurrently with the activities taking place in India. The prototype will also be produced for design validation by the end of 2014 in order to ensure that series production in India begins smoothly and without any problems.
The successful Siemens representatives from the factories in India and Nuremberg, Germany.
Siemens AG
Energy Sector
Power Transmission Division
Transformers
Markus Baumann
Markus.Baumann@siemens.com
Tobias Englmann
Tobias.Englmann@siemens.com
Dr. Berthold Sedlmaier berthold.sedlmaier@siemens.com
Publisher and copyright 2014:
Siemens AG
Energy Sector
Freyeslebenstrasse 1
91058 Erlangen, Germany