The 13th edition of the TRAKO International Railway Fair is already behind us.
More than 700 exhibitors took part in the event, including Warsaw’s Medcom, which received four awards and distinctions for innovation and its proprietary solutions supporting eco-friendly and sustainable public transport.
At its stand, Medcom presented modern devices for all kinds of railway vehicles (trains, metro vehicles and tramways), as well as electric buses and trolleybuses.
The company showcased its solutions for electric and diesel multiple units, including a drive and auxiliary power supply for EMUs powered by 25 kV traction for Tunisia and the PSM-145 SiC static converter for the metro in Turkey, which was awarded the grand prize in the category of innovative technologies and modern technical solutions for electric traction in public transport systems.
Additionally, as many as four railway vehicles equipped with Medcom’s power electronics were displayed at the fair’s exhibition tracks, including the Dragon 2 electric locomotive fitted with the PSM-175 SiC static converter, which received the grand prize in the Professor Czesław Jaworski Competition and the new hybrid Impuls 36WEh vehicle with a drive and power supply manufactured by Medcom.
The remaining vehicles presented at Gdańsk’s exhibition tracks included two trams equipped with Medcom’s devices: the Moderus Gamma 2 low-floor tram for Poznań and the Twist for Gorzów Wielkopolski.
Medcom marketing director Joanna Nichthauser said: “Nearly 1,000 trams have already been equipped with our devices. One of our larger projects in this sector is the supply of drives manufactured in the SiC technology for Poznań’s Moderus Gamma trams.
“Poznań is yet another Polish city using our devices in its public transport vehicles. At the moment, there are also more than 300 trams with Medcom’s solutions operating in Warsaw, and there will be many more thanks to the recently signed contract for the supply of power electronics for 213 trams for the capital city,”
The hybrid Impuls with power electronics by Medcom
The TRAKO fair saw the official premiere of the Impuls 36WEh multiple unit. Newag’s newest hybrid was equipped with Medcom’s electric propulsion system, power supply system and the train control and monitoring system (TCMS). The state-of-the-art drive is intended for the power supply and control of the operation of two asynchronous propulsion engines powering the wheel axles and generating voltage for supplying low-voltage circuits in the hybrid Impuls.
Newag’s new vehicle was also equipped with Medcom’s power supply system, comprising two traction inverters, static converters and battery chargers, as well as the train control and monitoring system (TCMS) with controllers mounted in the low-voltage power distribution units and the driver’s desk.
Impuls 36WEh was additionally fitted with the ‘power pack’ unit powered by a diesel engine, which enables the train to drive on the sections of the route where there is no overhead contact line. It is an innovative solution and the only one in Poland used in an electric multiple unit operating in a passenger transport system.
Medcom win Rzeczpospolita’s award for eco-friendly power electronics solutions
The first day of the fair was concluded with the ceremonial Trako 2019 Gala, during which those awarded in the competitions were handed their prizes. Medcom received two grand prizes from the fair’s organisers and an award of the Rzeczpospolita daily’s editorial team and the logistykarp.pl portal for its contribution into the development of eco-friendly, zero-emission public transport.
Medcom CFO Paweł Choduń said: “Today, the greatest challenge faced by companies operating in the public transport sector is to strive to develop solutions making it possible to limit the vehicles’ energy consumption, as well as its recovery and storage on the one hand, and on the other, actively building rolling stock powered by alternative energy sources, e.g. hydrogen, which is a completely zero-emission vehicle power supply source.
“For more than 30 years, we have been promoting the eco-friendly approach in our solutions, which is why we are so happy having received the award in precisely this category.”