Siemens Mobility is investing approximately €150 million to expand its service depot in Dortmund-Eving to 87,550 m² to meet the growing demand for rail services. Plans call for constructing an additional 12,300 m² service hall with storage facility, offices, and workshops to handle the maintenance of trains up to 400 meters long. Construction of the new building is scheduled to begin this year and be completed by 2026. The Siemens Mobility depot in Dortmund previously had a total area of 70,000 m² and will cover 157,550 m² when the project is completed.
Michael Peter, CEO Siemens Mobility said “Our customers need the best service to put more trains on the rail and ensure their maximum availability. Our digital service depot in Dortmund is one of the most modern rail service centres in Europe. To maximize efficiency, innovative Siemens technologies such as AI-based maintenance with Railigent X, 3D printing, and highly automated services are used at the facility.
By investing in additional depot capacity, we are responding to the growing demand for services.
The depot expansion will not only enable us to serve more vehicle and train types and customers in the future but also create highly qualified jobs in the region and further strengthen our service network in Europe.”
The digital depot in Dortmund has been in operation since 2018. When the new facility is completed in 2026, the service centre will have up to 250 employees. At present, the Siemens Mobility depot primarily maintains trains from the RRX fleet operating throughout the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region. With its added capacity, the depot will be able to service and maintain more trains from other fleets as well.
All maintenance processes can be controlled completely digitally at the Dortmund depot. This optimises all operations and maintenance and helps achieve up to 100% system availability. Depot employees get their work orders and all relevant maintenance and repair information directly on their tablets. The trains continually transmit sensor-sourced status data to the Railigent X digital platform, where it is automatically processed. For example, a high-speed train generates up to 30 GB of data per month. The Railigent X application suite from Siemens Mobility analyses this data using AI-based algorithms to predict faults as accurately as possible and make preventive maintenance recommendations.
In addition to its state-of-the-art inspection and maintenance equipment, including an outdoor cleaning facility and underfloor lathe and wheelset diagnostic system, the Rail Service Centre also has a high-performance 3D printer for producing plastic replacement parts quickly and directly on site. The depot’s advanced Automated Vehicle Inspection system [AVI] is unique in Germany. When the train or vehicle enters the AVI, it automatically checks the wheels, axles and tread profiles using the latest laser technology and feeds the data into Railigent X.
In the future, it should be possible to shift from human vehicle inspections to fully automated visual inspections. These inspections will be seamlessly integrated into a train’s operations to ensure its maximum availability and increase maintenance productivity. The latest software solutions use advanced technologies such as computer vision, artificial intelligence, and digital twins to inspect trains and vehicles as efficiently as possible.
Image credit: Siemens
