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Home International More than 137,000 international visitors attend InnoTrans 2022

More than 137,000 international visitors attend InnoTrans 2022

A total of 137,394 international visitors from 131 countries attended InnoTrans 2022 in Berlin between 20 and 23 September, the organisers have confirmed.

The four-day event attracted 2,834 exhibitors from 56 countries who, together, presented the mobility sector’s entire range of products and services at the event Amongst the exhibits were 250 world innovations, 128 vehicles and 14 buses. Alternative drive systems, battery-electric and fuel cell-powered buses and trains were the main topics at the fair organisers said.

Dr. Richard Lutz, CEO of Deutsche Bahn (DB), and Oleksander Kamyshin, CEO of Ukrsalisnyzja (UZ), the state-run Ukrainian rail network, signed a memorandum of understanding. The agreement guarantees UZ support for reconstruction after the war and includes collaboration on expanding goods supply corridors and terminal capacity as well as wide-ranging consultation services for introducing European rail operation and management standards.

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Polish train builder Pesa and mineral oil company and fuel station operator PKN Orlen reached an agreement to collaborate on hydrogen-powered rail vehicles. As a group, the two companies will put together an offer for rail transport companies that will include supplying rolling stock as well as hydrogen and refuelling solutions.

Saudi Arabia was able to move forward with ambitious plans for expanding its rail network. The country had already signed agreements with DB and Siemens, said Dr. Bashar Khalid Al Malik, CEO of the Saudi Arabian Railway Company, at the trade fair. With DB, the project included a knowledge transfer, while with Siemens the topic was also ticketing, he said.

According to a representative survey, exhibitors and trade visitors gave a positive assessment of their attendance at the trade fair. Ninety per cent of trade visitors were highly satisfied with their visit and 94 per cent of exhibitors had a positive overall impression of the trade fair. At 91 per cent respectively, both groups said they would readily recommend InnoTrans to others. 

A high percentage of trade visitors attended in a decision-making capacity, with almost 50 per cent occupying a senior position in their company. Some 57.3 per cent of trade visitors came from abroad. Trade visitors from Europe showed particularly keen interest in the trade fair. Almost two-thirds came from the European Union. A high proportion of exhibitors (around 18 per cent) reported successful business deals. Nine out of ten exhibitors expected good follow-up business.

Numerous exhibitors made use of the rail track and outdoor display area at InnoTrans to draw maximum attention to their world innovations. Among manufacturers, sustainable mobility was the dominant theme. On the rail track and outdoor display area, Siemens Mobility presented the Mireo Plus H, the next generation of hydrogen-powered trains, as well as the Mireo Plus B, which features a modular high-performance battery system. For the first time Stadler displayed its hydrogen-powered FLIRT H2 multiple-unit train for the American passenger rail market. Visitors could see Alstom’s Coradia iLint hydrogen-powered passenger train live, which is currently operating twice daily from Berlin-Spandau to Berlin-Ostbahnhof. 

Hitachi presented its Blues Train, which combines diesel, electric and battery-electric drive systems. Vossloh exhibited its DM 20 hybrid locomotive, which can also rapidly switch operating modes and energy systems.

DB was represented with several innovative trains (Ideenzug). The City version was incorporated in the middle carriage of Hamburg’s digital S-Bahn. That train is still a future concept. However, the one operated by Südostbayernbahn, a double-decker carriage, is real and was exhibited by DB Regio on the outdoor display area.

Henri Poupart-Lafarge, CEO of Alstom and chairman of the board of directors, said: “Yet again, InnoTrans succeeded as a unique forum for discussing our shared passion for innovations in the transport sector. After a four-year break, it was great to see the industry gathered here again. It was an opportunity to restate our commitment to sustainability and our calls for a transition to new forms of transport. Among the many business opportunities that arose in Berlin I would like to emphasise the memorandums of understanding agreed with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as they support our goal of contributing to an extremely environmentally friendly rail network.”

Dr. Richard Lutz, DB CEO, said: “We can only shape the future of rail together with strong partners. That is why exchanging views among industry members at InnoTrans is so important. For Deutsche Bahn, InnoTrans 2022 was an all-round success.”

Michael Peter, CEO, Siemens Mobility, said: “InnoTrans is the most important gathering of the industry and after four years we were delighted to finally meet our customers and partners in person again. Taking as our slogan ‘Destination Digital’, we presented Siemens Xcelerator, our new digital business platform, which we want to use for open digital interfaces that will enable a continuous data exchange between all sub-systems of the railway network. That will help our customers to establish sustainable, comfortable and cost-efficient rail transport systems of the future.”

Peter Spuhler, CEO, Stadler Rail AG, said: “The feedback from our visitors clearly showed how inspiring face-to-face meetings with our customers and partners are for the future of mobility. As an innovative supplier of sustainable rail transport solutions, Stadler was represented at InnoTrans with seven ultra-modern sustainable vehicles and a wide-ranging signalling and service portfolio. The customer reactions were overwhelming. There was also keen interest in our other exhibits, including the battery-electric FLIRT Akku, the TINA generation of new trams and the EURO9000 family of new locomotive products.”

Philippe Citroën, chief executive, UNIFE, said: “This was a wonderful opportunity to meet the entire railway community again in person. Taking part in InnoTrans was strategically important in order to press ahead with the priorities of UNIFE and the European rail supply industry within the framework of the Green Deal, a single European railway area, and the technologies and innovations that will enable it to become reality, as well as the legislative and technical progress that must take place before it can become operational.”

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