December 20, 2013, at 1:02 p.m. That's the exact moment the operating license for German national railroad operator Deutsche Bahn's newest ICE high-speed train came through from the Federal Railway Authority (EBA). Martin Steuger remembers this not because he was surprised, he says, but because he was pleased.Steuger -- who works for Siemens, the German train manufacturer -- currently has the most thankless job in the German railway industry. A heavyset man with unshakeable good humor, he is responsible for the development of the 407-series ICE, also known as "Velaro D," which has become a massive disgrace for Siemens.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/velaro-d-new-generation-ice-high-speed-trains-approved-a-955754.html
I have to wonder just how much of this is boneheadedness, and how much of it is ineffectual communication between Siemens and the German authorities.
I would also like to hear a technical discussion of what was involved with the brake-system redesign, in detail.
Is the attitude at Siemens over aspects of the Velaro D perhaps indicative of why their IDOT proposal turns out to appear to be physically incapable of quite meeting specifications?
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