Siemens Mobility and Lufthansa Technik Defense want to jointly develop a train for military evacuations and civilian disaster relief. To that end, the companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) ahead of the Berlin Security Conference.
In addition to the 150 patient places mentioned above, the two companies say there will also be room for up to 90 medical and support personnel. The train is currently being developed in Germany.
Patient transport train is based on existing technology
Technically, the concept relies on proven components: Siemens supplies Vectouro passenger coaches and a Vectron X locomotive. Lufthansa Technik Defense equips the coaches with litter systems and intensive care beds from its AeroMEDICAL Solutions, which also turn the Bundeswehr’s A400M into a “flying intensive care unit.”
Patients therefore do not need to be transferred to different beds when switching between aircraft and train. “Based on proven technologies, we are creating a future-proof concept for flexible, fast, and reliable patient transport,” said Steffen Bobsien of Siemens Mobility.
Cross-border use, convertible for civilian service
Thanks to the underlying platforms, the train is designed for cross-border operation, and no change of vehicle should be necessary at borders. With the Vectron X Dual Mode, which runs on both electric and diesel power, it remains operational on non-electrified lines as well.
The equipment ranges from basic care to intensive care (NATO categories D1 to D4). The coaches are designed for more than 30 years of service and can be converted between patient evacuation and civilian passenger service, which is intended to improve cost-effectiveness.
“Especially in these challenging times of geopolitical uncertainty, the ability to carry out medical evacuation is of great strategic relevance,” said Michael von Puttkamer of Lufthansa Technik.
The second such train in a short time
Competition is coming from within Germany: Rheinmetall Project Solutions and Alstom Transportation Germany also presented the MedEvacTrain at the first NATO Medical Innovation Workshop in Budapest (as previously reported by Military Medicine). It is a purely modular hospital train for evacuating large numbers of casualties over medium and long distances.
The concept envisions Alstom’s TRAXX Universal with last-mile diesel capability as the locomotive, which could be deployed across borders in the corridor from Germany to Romania. The concept is said to have already attracted considerable interest from senior representatives of the Bundeswehr Medical Service.
Rheinmetall and Alstom plan to unveil a first prototype, which is already under construction, in 2027. It is not yet known when Siemens and Lufthansa Technik will be able to present a comparable prototype.
1 / 4
