The C2 metro trains will be operated on München U-Bahn, the underground rapid transit network of Munich. Munich Public Transportation Company (MVG), a subsidiary of Munich City Utilities (SWM), owns and operates the underground subway network that that serves more than one million passengers a day with a total track length of 100km.
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Siemens was awarded a contract worth €185m ($237m) in November 2010 to deliver 21 C2 metro trains for the underground subway between 2013 and 2015. Options are also in place to procure a further 46 trains for München U-Bahn through firm orders between 2016 and 2020. This would increase the total investment on the fleet of C2 rolling stock to €555m ($711m).
Details of the C2 rolling stock on the München U-Bahn
More than 550 trains, Class A, Class B and Class C, are in use in the rapid transit network. The plan to replace around 60% of old trains with new ones is in place due to increasing maintenance costs and unavailability of spare parts.
Of the 21 ordered C2 trains, 14 will replace the Class A trains, which have been in service for more than 40 years. The final seven will be introduced in the downtown line sections as part of MVG’s 2010-2020 service campaign to reduce the headways between trains from two and a half to two minutes.
Design, features and construction of C2 underground trains
The C2 trains represent the latest version of Class C trains operating in the Munich metro network. Class C trains, which are available in two variants, C1.9 and C1.10, were deployed in the network between 2002 and 2006. A total number of 18 six-car C1 trains were used to replace the erstwhile two-car Class A trains.
The permanently coupled six-car C2 trains, made with an aluminium structure, will be 115m long and 2.90m wide. The C2 is designed to operate in 750V DC voltage systems and on 1,435mm track gauge. Each passenger car of the train will have six wide doors. The height of floor above top of rail (TOR) will be 11m, while the maximum axel load of the train will be 13.5t.
The first version of C2 class of trains, C2.11, is similar to C1.9 and C1.10 units with added features borrowed from modern metro trains such as Siemens Inspiro.
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München (Munich) U-Bahn, Bavaria, Germany
München U-Bahn, meaning underground subway in German, is a rapid transit network serving München (Munich), the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft (MVG) maintains and operates the subway network.
The C2 generation of metro trains are more economical and ecologically friendly than the C1. The new generation train also offers more customer-friendly features.
The distinctive features of C2 trains include higher passenger capacity with redesigned interior layout, greater acceleration rate, improved energy efficiency, LED lighting technology, and the use of recyclable materials.
The C2 type trains were designed by Alexander Neumeister of N+P Industrial Design in co-operation with SWM/MVG.
The design of the upcoming C2 underground has won both the Universal Design Award 2013 and the Universal Design Consumer Favourite 2013 award.
The C2 trains are being built by Siemens at its plants in Vienna, Austria, and Munich-Allach, Germany. The first car body of the new train was unveiled in October 2012. The first four C2 trains are scheduled to enter commercial service by the end of 2012.
Capacity and performance of Munich C2 metro trains
The new underground metro trains will offer a passenger capacity of 940, compared to 912 on C1 trains.
The C2 trains will have padded seats for 220 passengers and standing capacity for 720 passengers. The train has an extended surface area to accommodate wheel chairs and baby carriages. Its cars are permanently coupled offering riders accessibility from end-to-end.
The new underground trains can be operated at a maximum speed of 90km/h. The maximum starting acceleration of the C2 train will be 1.3m/s2 and the mean braking deceleration 1.2m/s2.
The door edges of the train will feature colour LED light strips, which make the opening and closing sequences prominent. The interior lighting of the train will consist of LED lamps rather than halogen spotlights, which will ensure better quality of lighting with less energy consumption. The front section of the train will also feature LED-based lighting equipment.
The train is equipped with energy saving features, such as regenerative power braking facility. The train will also have lower maintenance costs and will be 95% recyclable.
Most notably, the C2 underground metro trains offer the option for driverless operation. The driver cab can be removed to add further passenger capacity.
