What does Siemens think on the fact that has been reduced the requirements for the high speed train Madrid-Frontier?
The truth is that we know few things about the specifications of the tender which have been at the elaboration and enquiries phase yet on the different realities it can be offered. I wouldn't speak such a reduction of the qualities as try to include into that specifications the highest number of possibilities in high speed trains. In accordance to the maximum speed, our train is designed to circulate at 350 kilometres an hour and there are other trains into the market which can't reach that speed, but they have qualities without any doubt interesting to Renfe. As consequence, it seems sensible that Renfe is opening the specifications of the tender to be able to include the highest possible number of trains.
Siemens will go to the tender with its ICE3, is it going to be fitted in anyway to the Spanish journeys?
Yes, without any doubt. There is a basic plan which makes up the train structure: its modularence and its distributed drive along the whole train. Its characteristics will excatly be similar to the Dutch or the German train, but it must fit to two facts: the Spanish environment -the Spanish climatic conditions are much more particular than the German climatic conditions, because we change from the hot to the cold- and, in other way, the services on the Spanish train are much more. Then, we must make some important changes on the waggons and on the catering services. That is to say, there will be a bigger buffet service than, for example, in Germany.
What are the most important points into the train which will be open to the tender?
Although there isn't any advantage, it is a fact to emphasize, that is to say, the train is alive. The train can be seen travelling in Holland and Germany, and even it can be seen circulating to carry travellers to Hannover's Expo. The second fact consists of it is the third ICE generation and the first one led by the industry -the other ones were led by the Deutsche Bundesbahn- and we can say that it is a product very ripe. The third characteristic point is that it is a train with distributed drive, that is to say, it not only has the biggest capacity of acceleration, but it has the biggest capacity of braking -because it has the biggest capacity of adherence- and all of this allows the modularence. That means that it is impossible to have trains with four, five, six waggons without depending on the locomotives.
Moreover the tender Madrid-Barcelone-Frontier, the Spanish Government forsees to open new high speed lines. Will Siemens open models to that tender? What will they be?
At first, we forsee to base on the ICE family, where we can find the ICE3, but we can find a electrical pendular model too, and the diesel engine model too. In this way, the ICE family not only can reach the high speed, but the regional trains of high qualities too, at 250 kilometres an hour. The last ones are going to change the idea on the regional trains and they have an important market in all Europe. They are on fashion, such on trains, as on operating idea.
In this case, has Siemens forseen to start alliances for new developmemts?
Siemens has an alliances policy very different and in this way the history demonstrates it. In Spain, we have collaborated with Alstom and CAF on that projects where there have been a complementarence by both organizations and our desire continues being to collaborate on the constructing and designing of their trains. In accordance to the development, we understand that we not only have a range of products which has already developed but we want to use that experience into the Spanish market. This is, inasmuch as the development we have a large range and we haven't any necessity of collaborating with any other enterprise.
Will the winner company of the high speed tender Madrid-Barcelone-Frontier climb to the worldwide head?
We think that all the manufacturers in the whole Europe. In Germany there are plans to extend the high speed, but there is a saturation effect into the market. In France that effect can be seen clearly and eliminating projects out of Europe which, such them, have their own dynamics very bound to the price of the money and the fluctuation of the markets, the high speed market in Spain is the biggest, the most attractive and the ripest in the world. The generations of trains in the year 2005, 2010 and the following ones are going to gamble clearly in Spain, such because the quantity of lines to build, as because the qualities of these lines. As consequence, those ones who win the tender will climb to the worldwide head.
What will happen with the factory in Cornellá, if your train doesn't win the tender?
Nothing, because it was thought to be the worlwide head in drive engines. In fact, in these moments the 50% of the engines which Siemens makes in the world are manufactured in Cornella. As consequence, if we don't win the tender, it won't mean anychange. But, if we win the tender, logically we will rest on these installations to develope the most important part in the production of this train.
What are the most important projects that Siemens has in Spain?
We are fighting above all in the part of fixed installations for the project Madrid-Barcelone. In the same way, we are working, time ago, in the underground sector. And the third area, in which I think that we are the first ones, the fast trains, which at some cities they call them as trams and at other ones they called them as fast undergrounds. There are, at least, 10 or 12 cities in Spain where they are thinking in these themes. For us it is a vocation to sponsor this kind of transport.
What do you say inasmuch as the exporting activity from Spain?
The exportation is something very wrong. By the way, from the factory in Cornella we are exporting to the whole world, from Salt Lake City to Hiroshima. And, inasmuch as to the complete installations, in its time we built the factory in Medellin (Colomby), and now we are offering bothly with our head office at some countries. Bu the way, this is a complementary activity, there isn't our basic activity.
What do you think about the future of the train?
Nowadays, it is in a "sweet" moment. After a difficult time for the railway, we have changed to a completely different time in only ten years. The operating philosophy of the railway has changed radically and the processes of liberalization and privatization will involve a very positive change into the railway world.
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