The Anonymous Widower

Smart Train Lease Aims ‘To Make Renting Trains As Easy And Simple As Renting A Car’

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette International.

These four paragraphs outline the scheme.

Siemens Mobility has established a leasing subsidiary that would enable train operators to use its Mireo Smart battery, hydrogen and electric multiple-units without needing to make long-term investment commitments.

Smart Train Lease GmbH would make available at short notice multiple-units already approved for operation. These could be short or medium-term leases, with services such as maintenance available as part of the package. The aim is to provide operators with an economical way to quickly and flexibly expand their fleets and try out more sustainable traction technologies.

‘We want to make renting trains as easy and simple as renting a car, and thus help accelerate the mobility transition’, the leasing company’s CEO Benjamin Dobernecker explained on February 14.

Smart Train Lease will initially operate in Germany, although it plans to expand throughout Europe in the medium term.

I like this idea and I think it will work.

Metier Management Systems And Artemis

When four of us started Metier Management Systems in 1977 to sell our mini-computer-based project management system; Artemis, we generally rented or leased our systems, although we did sell some as the years progressed.

• For a fixed fee per month, a company got a project management computer and all the software.
• The fixed fee included installation, first line support, training and software updates.
• We could also supply extra training and project management consultancy at appropriate rates.
• The only extra costs to the client were the electricity to power the hardware and the paper to put in the printer.
• We also allowed clients to convert leases into outright sales.

This simple sales model appealed to a lot of our clients.

• The cost of the system was easy to budget.
• Many of our clients were happy with leasing or renting computer equipment.
• As the system was desk-sized, it easily fitted the average office.

But the leasing model was very advantageous to us.

• Most of our clients were large high-value quality organisations like big oil companies, nationalised industries and engineering consultancies.
• Our Finance Director and our Bank Manager at Lloyds Bank devised a plan, whereby we bundled a number of high-quality  leases together and sold the bundle to Lloyds Bank’s leasing company.

The money we received gave us a healthy cash flow.

• The cash flow was then used to fund Research and Development and to finance more sales.
• If say someone like BP or Shell should phone up or send a fax, wanting a system immediately, we were generally able to fulfil their request.

I am sure that Siemens Mobility will be using a similar model.

They will aim to have trains in stock to fulfil clients needs.

So if Deutsche Bahn phone up saying have you got a three-car battery-electric train that works with 15 KVAC and has a range of 100 kilometres for next Monday, Siemens Mobility can generally say yes.

What helps is that the modular Mireo Smart multiple unit comes in battery, hydrogen and electric versions.

Extras could include full servicing a driver.

So Siemens Mobility will plug the train together and deliver it.

How Would Siemens Use The Leasing Model In Great Britain?

Consider.

• There are a lot of routes that need to be decarbonised in Great Britain.
• Many of these routes have electrification at one or both ends.
• Often these routes terminate in a bay platform.
• On most of these routes a two-, three-, four- or five-car train will be sufficient capacity.
• In the Desiro City, Siemens have a train, that is acceptable to Great Britain.
• If routes in Great Britain are to be electrified, they must be electrified with 25 KVAC overhead wires.
• Trains would be 100 mph, so they wouldn’t be limited as to routes.
• A Mireo-B has a range of between 80-100 kilometres or 49.7-74.6 miles.

I am sure Siemens Desiro City or its European equivalent; Mireo can be developed into a family of trains suitable for GB!

• The basic train would be two driving cars.
• Length would be increased by coupling trailer cars between the two driving cars.
• Hydrogen power would be in one of the trailers.
• Batteries would be under an appropriate number of cars.

Battery trains would be able to use a simple automatic charger, similar to the one, that I described in GWR Trialling Transformative Ultra-Rapid Charging Train Battery.

An Example – Mid-Cornwall Metro

This map shows the Mid-Cornwall Metro.

Consider.

• Newquay and Par is 20.8 miles.
• Falmouth Docks and Par is 30.8 miles.
• Newquay and Falmouth Docks is 51.6 miles.
• The maximum speed between Par and Newquay is around 30 mph
• The maximum speed between Par and Falmouth Docks is around 50-70 mph
• There are twelve intermediate stations.
• There is a reverse at Par station.
• Charging would be easy to install at Falmouth Docks, Newquay and Par.
• In Par Station – 10th February 2024, I suggested that Par station could be fully-electrified, so that expresses could have a Splash-and-Dash on their way to London and Penzance. If all platforms at Par were electrified the Mid-Cornwall Metro trains could charge from the electrification, as they reversed.

There are two main ways that the Mid-Cornwall Metro might operate.

• There would be chargers at Newquay and Falmouth Docks and trains would shuttle the 51.6 miles between the two stations.
• There would only be charging at Par and trains would after charging at Par go alternatively to Newquay and Falmouth Docks.

The first might need smaller batteries and the second would only need one charger.

An Example – Uckfield Branch

The Uckfield branch is in Southern England.

• It is not electrified between Hurst Green Junction and Uckfield, which is 24.7 miles.
• There are eight intermediate stations.
• The line can accommodate ten-car trains.

There is space at Uckfield station for a charger.

Charging would be at Uckfield station and North of Hurst Green Junction, where it will use the existing electrification.

Conclusions

This leasing/rental model will surely encourage train operators to replace diesels with appropriate zero-carbon alternatives on routes that need to be decarbonised.

 

February 15, 2024 - Posted by AnonW | Computing, Finance, Transport/Travel | Artemis, Battery-Electric Trains, DB, Desiro City, Falmouth Docks Station, Hydrogen-Powered Trains, Leasing, Metier Management Systems, Mid-Cornwall Metro, Newquay Station, Par Station, Siemens, Siemens Mireo Smart, Siemens Mobility, Smart Train Lease, Uckfield Branch