Brüel & Kjær Vibro (B&K Vibro), one of the leading worldwide independent suppliers of condition monitoring solutions for rotating machinery, and Stadler Rail have signed a long-term agreement to bring state-of-the-art condition monitoring to 606 rail carriages for the Berlin Underground (U-Bahn), in Germany.

The agreement includes supply of German-made vibration sensors and “Edge” devices that will constantly monitor bearings which are fitted to the rolling stock bogeys. Each carriage will be fitted with a system that provides predictive maintenance insights on the condition of each bearing, allowing Stadler to improve the performance and efficiency of trains, using state-of-the-art technologies to optimize maintenance schedules for each carriage, maintain uptime and reduce operating costs.

This contract is worth several million euros, and is based on the latest B&K Vibro VIBRO Condition Monitoring 3 (VCM-3) technology, bringing the “Internet of Things” to the U-Bahn.

“We are proud that our VCM-3 system has been selected for this prestigious project and would like to thank Stadler for the trust they have placed in us. We look forward to a long and mutually successful relationship, helping to build efficient and reliable trains for the Berlin Underground,” said Christian Klostermeier, Chief Commercial Officer of B&K Vibro.

This project is an integral part of a recent project win by Stadler of the largest tender to date from the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) for the delivery of up to 1,500 new underground cars for use on the Berlin underground network. The framework agreement, of a total approximate value of up to 3 billion euros, is also one of the largest supply contracts ever awarded in Europe.

The framework agreement includes a fixed minimum order quantity of 606 cars. Stadler will therefore supply 376 cars for two- to four-car vehicle units for the small and large profile sections of the network in a first call-off order from 2022 onwards. A further 230 cars have been ordered on a firm basis, but the corresponding call-off order will be placed at a later date.

“We are proud that BVG has decided to continue its successful cooperation with our company. Stadler always aims at offering state-of-the-art technologies to our customers in order to guarantee reliable, sustainable mobility solutions. By collaborating with Brüel & Kjær Vibro we bring the “Internet of things” to the Berlin metro-system, ensuring the highest efficiency and performance of the trains,” explained further Jure Mikolčić, CEO of Stadler in Germany.