core sector communique

ThyssenKrupp Nirosta strengthens position in rail transit sector - Innovative metro trains for Hamburg made with stainless steel

A new generation of metro trains is soon to enter service in Hamburg after the unveiling today of the DT5 multiple unit train. The new vehicle, developed by the consortium Alstom/Bombardier Transportation under a contract from Hamburger Hochbahn AG, is low on pollution, resource-friendly and quiet, while at the same time offering very high safety standards and enhanced ride comfort. Alstom LHB, responsible for the design of the train, made extensive use of material from ThyssenKrupp Nirosta. The body of the DT5 is made completely from Nirosta 4318 stainless steel and is based on a new lightweight design concept. With its contribution to the innovative metro technology in Hamburg, ThyssenKrupp Nirosta is further strengthening its global credentials in the rail transit industry.

The ecological benefits of lightweight construction are clear: The less a vehicle weighs, the less energy is needed to set it in motion and the lower are emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollution. "With its high yield strength and good corrosion resistance, 1.4318 is ideal for lightweight construction," says Wolfgang Gebel from ThyssenKrupp Nirosta technical customer support. "Even thin panels displays high strength and rigidity."

"We decided to do without external painting altogether," says Andreas Knitter, Alstom CEO. "Stainless steel surfaces are easier to clean, make expensive painting superfluous, and the high stainless steel content translates into another benefit for the environment: The new vehicles are made of 95 percent recyclable material." To allow the DT5 to shine without painting, the stainless steel panels used for the outer structure were provided with a special ground finish at ThyssenKrupp Nirosta to make the surface less sensitive and give it a silky shine.

The full order includes the delivery of up to 67 vehicles by 2015. For ThyssenKrupp Nirosta, road and rail vehicles are an important market with major growth potential. "Environmental protection is becoming more and more important all over the world," says Gebel. "We expect a renaissance of urban rail transit and a major expansion of networks, combined with modernization of the vehicle fleet, which we intend to benefit from. Various possibilities of use, very good formability and in particular sustainability mean that more and more manufacturers in the transportation sector are turning to stainless steel." Stainless steel from Krefeld has been used in a variety of projects for many years: Examples include Basel, where a total of 60 new trams of type "Tango" are to be deployed in the next ten years, the Bombardier cars for the metro in New Delhi, India, and the double-deck cars for Deutsche Bahn. Throughout the world the experts from ThyssenKrupp Nirosta in association with rail industry specialists are proving that stainless steel from ThyssenKrupp is a fast track to success.

ThyssenKrupp Nirosta (Krefeld) is one of the world's leading producers of stainless steel flat products with a wide range of steels, sizes and finishes. The company has several sites in Germany and employs around 4,200 people.

Alstom is a world market leader in the energy and transportation sector. The group employs more than 80,000 people in 70 countries and won orders worth 18.7 billion euros in 2008/2009. In Germany, Alstom operates 15 sites and has around 7,000 employees.

With over 4,400 employees, Hamburger Hochbahn is Germany's second largest urban transit company and the biggest partner in the Hamburg transit network (HVV). Operating three metro lines and over 100 bus lines, the company transports around a million passengers a day.