Deutsche Bahn refuses to purchase more barf express trains (IC2 TWINDEXX)

[Yavianice]

Deutsche Bahn refuses to purchase the remaining 25 IC2 TWINDEXX sets (5 cars + one loco) from bombardier due to continued problems with the software (aka features).

 

The features include:

- The loco and the 5 cars are a set and cannot be uncoupled. One car stops working? That’s it, whole train stops working. You can’t switch out the car and the whole set needs to be repaired.

- When reversing, computers crash and take about 30 minutes to reset, if that even succeeds.

- The second iteration sets feature a dark mode. Meaning that randomly the lights refuse to turn on.

- The first iteration made people motionsick due to uncontrolled swaying.

 

Furthermore the sets are not equipped with the modern ETCS system, even though they should have been.

 

The 25 sets are valued at approximately 400M euros, and are currently in the final stages of production. 
 

These trains aren’t the only high profile trains DB has in its possession which are plagued with issues; the ICE4 sets are also plagued with software issues and faster than normal wear and crack formation in the carriage frames, which also prompted DB to hold all future orders of new ICE4 sets (also produced by bombardier).

 

source: https://www.sueddeutsche.de/wirtschaft/deutsche-bahn-ic-1.4773380 

[bikkuri bahn]

Perhaps a symptom of a bigger problem with the company. This article is interesting:

https://jp.reuters.com/article/us-bombardier-railway-m-a/bombardier-scrambles-to-craft-rail-merger-with-alstom-hitachi-sources-idINKBN1ZN24Z

[chadbag]

.0 -- interesting article

 

.1 -- I remember reading about the proposed match-up with Siemens and it being killed.  Everyone seems to be running afraid from the Chinese.

[disturbman]

1 hour ago, bikkuri bahn said:

Perhaps a symptom of a bigger problem with the company. This article is interesting:

https://jp.reuters.com/article/us-bombardier-railway-m-a/bombardier-scrambles-to-craft-rail-merger-with-alstom-hitachi-sources-idINKBN1ZN24Z

Definitely, Bombardier has been selling assets and is still looking to sell more. It is almost completely out of aviation, it sold its commercial aviation to MHI and Viking air, and is looking to sell its stake in its joint venture with Airbus. Next step is Bombardier Transportation.

@chadbag At the moment, CRRC is irrelevant in the European market. CRRC bought Vossloh Locomotives last year but would need to acquire or build more plants on the continent to be able to win tenders. There are still a long way away to become an issue for European manufacturers, at least on the European market. To me this feels like political theatre from the French (government and Alstom) after the EU blocked the Alstom/Siemens merger.

[chadbag]

@disturbman  It is a worldwide market that they all play in.  While CRRC may not be big, yet, in Europe, they are doing a lot in the US and elsewhere, where Bombadier and otehrs also play or want or need to play as well.  CRRC is claimed to be the largest rolling stock company in the world, which gives them leverage in the future to compete on price, etc., ostensibly, through economies of scale, etc.

 

I think that is the fear amongst the European and other companies.  CRRC will eventually muscle their way into the European market and close off the non-European markets.

[disturbman]

Agreed, but I still think this is more related to political posturing than proper fear. Means to perhaps pressure Brussels to allow for further consolidation. I only found references to the French the French government and Alstom brandishing the Chinese menace.

 

Europe is the biggest single market for rolling-stock and, as far as I know, the 3 European manufacturers (I include Bombardier in that list) always had a very marginal presence in markets outside of the Old Continent and their original national markets (to simplify).

[EdF]

Siemens is capitalizing on the once in a generation passenger stock purchase in the US and Canada.  Nationalization killed the domestic builders because of this large gap in orfers.  I expect thier massive presence in Sacramento will almost only be LRV equipment in 5 years.  This will probably let CRRC back into these markets.