GERMANY: Hamburger Hochbahn has awarded a contract to Siemens Mobility for the installation of communications-based train control on the cross-city route shared by U-Bahn lines U2 and U4.
Under a project branded as U-Bahn100 as it will deliver 100 sec headways, Siemens Mobility will supply and install its Trainguard MT CBTC technology on the whole of U4 and the section of U2 between Christuskirche and Mümmelmannsberg. The two routes share the cross-city core between Jungfernstieg and Billstedt via Hbf Nord, which is the busiest section of the city’s metro network. CBTC will also be installed on the U4 extension to Horner Geest which is now under construction for opening by the end of 2026.
The introduction of moving block and automatic train operation to GoA2 is expected to increase line capacity by more than 20%, as well as improving punctuality and reliability. Switching to ATO will also reduce energy consumption and improve passenger comfort through smoother acceleration and braking.
The Trainguard MT lineside equipment will be interfaced with the six existing Sicas ECC interlockings controlling the two lines. Siemens Mobility will also supply the onboard equipment to be fitted to 163 DT5 trainsets, starting with a pre-series batch of six trains to be modified at the operator’s workshops in Hamburg during 2023. Series conversion will be undertaken at Alstom’s Salzgitter plant where the trains were assembled, with the programme expected to run from 2024 until the autumn of 2027.
Total cost of the project is estimated at around €200m, and the city government is reportedly seeking a contribution from the federal government. Completion is anticipated by the end of 2029.
‘For the mobility transition, we need powerful and reliable systems that create real customer benefits’, explained HHA CEO Henrik Falk. ‘Through the U-Bahn100 project, we’re creating a service for our passengers that is simply unbeatable: a train every 100 sec — on time, reliable, environmentally friendly, and effectively available at all times.’
