Bombardier Transportation, a subcontractor for the ICE 4 project, has determined within the framework of its quality management that individual welds on ICE 4 railcar bodies were not carried out as prescribed. This deviation is not safety relevant.
All railcar bodies currently in production comply with the agreed upon quality standards. Siemens Mobility and Bombardier Transportation have proactively informed the German Federal Railway Authority (EBA).
Deutsche Bahn (DB) has requested that the manufacturers repair all affected vehicles within the scope of the warranty. The details of this process are currently being worked out. Bombardier Transportation is in close contact with Siemens Mobility, DB and EBA and is working together with them to find a solution. There are currently no indications that the welding issue has any impact on the relevant trains in service.
For the time being, DB will not be accepting any further ICE 4 trains from the manufacturer until a final agreement is reached regarding a repair concept.
Siemens Mobility is the general contractor for the ICE 4 trains. Bombardier Transportation delivers around 30 percent of the overall system, including delivery of all railcar shells and of all internally supported bogies as well as the complete finishing work for three railcar types, including the end cars.
Siemens Mobility is a separately managed company of Siemens AG. As a leader in transport solutions for more than 160 years, Siemens Mobility is constantly innovating its portfolio in its core areas of rolling stock, rail automation and electrification, turnkey systems, intelligent traffic systems as well as related services. With digitalization, Siemens Mobility is enabling mobility operators worldwide to make infrastructure intelligent, increase value sustainably over the entire lifecycle, enhance passenger experience and guarantee availability. In fiscal year 2018, which ended on September 30, 2018, the former Siemens Mobility Division posted revenue of €8.8 billion and had around 28,400 employees worldwide. Further information is available at: www.siemens.com/mobility.
About Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is a global mobility solution provider leading the way with the rail industry’s broadest portfolio. It covers the full spectrum of solutions, ranging from trains to sub-systems and signalling to complete turnkey transport systems, e-mobility technology and data-driven maintenance services. Combining technology and performance with empathy, Bombardier Transportation continuously breaks new ground in sustainable mobility by providing integrated solutions that create substantial benefits for operators, passengers and the environment. Headquartered in Berlin, Germany, Bombardier Transportation employs around 40,650 people and its products and services operate in over 60 countries.
