Alstom, the world leader in smart and sustainable mobility, announced the completion of a new maintenance facility in Bucharest, Romania. Alstom Grivita Depot is Romania's first established depot for the maintenance and testing of electric trains and locomotives. Currently, the first of 37 units of EMUs for the Railway Reform Authority (ARF) are located in the new depot and are undergoing mandatory testing for market certification.
Alstom is actively recruiting staff for the new maintenance center and around 50 employees are expected to participate in the project and receive special training.
“This new warehouse underlines Alstom's enduring commitment to the Romanian market and marks an important milestone as we celebrate our 30th anniversary in the country this year,” said Gabriel Stanciu, General Manager of Alstom Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova. “In addition to maintenance operations, the Alstom Grivita Depot is also dedicated to testing, verification and fine-tuning operations to ensure that new rolling stock reaches the performances required by the contracts,” he says.
“This is the first modern warehouse built in Romania in the last 30 years. The new maintenance facility will be equipped with the latest generation technology that matches and even surpasses the most advanced warehouses in the world, including a digital control room for fleet management,” says Roberto Saccione, Managing Director of Alstom Services Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova.
The six-car train Coradia Stream for ARF continues a very complex mandatory testing program – static and dynamic – in accordance with the TSI regulations (Technical Specifications for Interoperability) and the National Notified Technical Rules (NNTR) established at the European level. can travel with passengers. new type of train TÜM Their functions and performance will be verified through hundreds of verification tests, from electrical and electronic systems to braking and drive systems, from railway dynamics for train stability to all aspects of passenger comfort and much more.. Following completion of these verification tests, an additional 60 final certification tests are required to verify train compliance and secure authorization to commence passenger operations.
To optimize the process, Alstom uses three similar trains simultaneously, dividing key stages of the testing procedure. The final stage before passenger operation involves endurance tests: 10.000 km are covered without passengers on commercial lines, depending on line availability.
Alstom has been operating in Romania for 30 years and is the market leader in railway electrification and signaling solutions, currently employing more than 1.500 people. The company is responsible for the implementation of signaling or electrification solutions on the Northern branch of the Rhine-Danube railway corridor in Romania, as well as on two sections of the Cluj-Oradea line and the first section of the Caransebeș-Lugoj line. The company is part of the consortium building the second metro system in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, the first fully automated metro line in the country. The first CBTC urban signaling solution in the country is being implemented by Alstom on Bucharest's 5th metro line. Alstom has also been the maintenance services provider of the Bucharest metro fleet for the last 20 years, and a new long-term contract is in force. Valid until 2036.
Additional information on testing and certification processes
Main functions and performances to be demonstrated according to the applicable Interoperability Technical Specification (TSI) and Notified National Technical Rules (NNTR):
- Electrical and electronic systems: This includes testing all components related to the operation of the train's electrical and electronic systems, such as signaling, communications, train control, fire detection and passenger access doors;
- Braking systems: This involves ensuring that the train's braking systems meet prescribed standards for safety, efficiency and performance under a variety of conditions and over the entire life of the train;
- Railway Dynamics: This includes ensuring that the train can maintain stability against the risk of derailment on different types of track geometry and quality and under different loads;
- Drive systems: This test determines the train's ability to accelerate, decelerate and maintain speed under various conditions;
- Passenger comfort: This includes assessing the passenger experience such as interior noise levels, ride comfort, temperature control and other features that may affect passenger comfort;
- Impact Resistance and Structural Strength: This evaluates the train's ability to support structural loads and its ability to resist impacts and protect passengers in carriages in the event of a crash;
- Environmental performance: This testing is done to ensure the train complies with environmental regulations and includes a wide range of factors such as noise pollution, energy efficiency, electromagnetic compatibility, eco design;
- Train Driving Status: This includes ensuring that the driver's cabin and human-machine interfaces are safe, efficient and comfortable to ensure proper train driving;
- Generally, 10.000 km of final dynamic testing without passengers on a commercial line is considered to be a sufficient amount to ensure that the train meets regulatory requirements and is safe, durable and reliable for passenger use. This final stage is designed to ensure that the train undergoes appropriate verification to meet the required standards for passenger service. Testing a train at high speeds under a variety of conditions for such a long distance helps identify possible defects that may develop over the train's lifetime. It also helps ensure that components that may wear out over time, such as wheels, brakes or suspension, undergo a thorough testing process and appropriate replacement plans are implemented.