GERMANY: Siemens Mobility and Lufthansa Technik Defense have agreed to develop jointly a train for cross-border military medical evacuations and civilian disaster response. Ahead of the Berlin Security Conference on November 3-4 the companies signed a memorandum of understanding to combine their decades of experience in rail vehicle manufacturing and aeromedical transport to develop the…
GERMANY: Siemens Mobility and Lufthansa Technik Defense have agreed to develop jointly a train for cross-border military medical evacuations and civilian disaster response.
Ahead of the Berlin Security Conference on November 3-4 the companies signed a memorandum of understanding to combine their decades of experience in rail vehicle manufacturing and aeromedical transport to develop the train for the German armed forces and NATO allies.
The train would be equipped with technology from the aviation sector for the transport and care of injured or ill patients, including those requiring intensive care. Lufthansa Technik’s proven systems are used by the German air force and other armed forces, offering the ability to convert an Airbus A400M transport aircraft into a ‘flying intensive care unit’.
The train plan would see these standardised modules, which range from basic stretchers (litter racks) to fully equipped patient transport units with intensive care beds, installed in Siemens Mobility Vectouro coaches. The trains would be hauled by a Vectron X locomotive, or a Vectron X Dual Mode electro-diesel able to operate without overhead power. Each trainset would offer space for more than 150 patients and 90 medical and support personnel.
The coaches could be flexibly equipped and reconfigured to suit specific missions and care requirements, ranging from basic medical treatment to intensive care (NATO categories D1 through D4).
Siemens Mobility said a key advantage of the concept was the ability to convert the rolling stock between civilian passenger service and patient evacuation, improving vehicle utilisation and increasing cost-effectiveness over a life cycle of more than 30 years.
‘We are creating a high-performance MedEvac solution that combines state-of-the-art medical care with the advantages of rail transport’, said Steffen Bobsien, Head of Locomotives & Coaches at Siemens Mobility, on November 3. ‘Based on proven technologies, we are developing a future-proof concept for flexible, fast and reliable patient transport.’
Michael von Puttkamer, Vice-President of Special Aircraft Services & Defence at Lufthansa Technik, added that ‘in these challenging times of geopolitical uncertainty, the capability for medical evacuation is of high strategic importance, and this applies to both land and air transport. In Siemens Mobility, we have found a strong partner to bring our proven aeromedical solutions to the rail sector, creating an end-to-end medical supply chain. In this way, we aim to further strengthen the operational readiness of the German armed forces and their allies.’
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