Siemens made its interest in building hybrid-transportation technology known when it signed a deal earlier this year with Airbus to create hybrid-electric planes.
The industrial firm will continue to work with hybrid transportation as it builds diesel-electric high-speed trains for Brightline, a privately funded transportation venture.
In a 600,000-square-foot production factory in Sacramento, California, Siemens employees weld, wire, and paint Brightline trains that will travel Florida's east coast, from Miami to Fort Lauderdale to West Palm Beach, reports Wired. The trains will reach speeds upward of 125 mph, thanks to one of the newest engines on the market: the Cummins QSK95.
“The idea of being able to connect downtown Miami to Fort Lauderdale in 30 minutes really changes the way that we think people are going to move about,” Brightline President Michael Reininger told Wired.
Siemens is also producing 69 diesel-electric trains for the Illinois, California, Michigan, Missouri, Washington, and Maryland Departments of Transportation. Brightline's trains will be available for travelers in a year's time and, according to the Sun Sentinel, its rails should extend to Orlando by the end of 2017.
You can see more photos of the train and its construction below.
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Each Cummins 16-cylinder engine weighs 42,000 pounds and must be dropped by crane into individual locomotives. The engines have a horsepower of 4,400.
The massive engines generate the trains' electricity, while cables that span a total of 42 miles provide electricity for movement, lights, and passengers' electronic devices.
Coaches will be equipped with Wi-Fi, power outlets, reclining seats, and large windows that provide panoramic views. Aisles are 32 inches wide to accommodate the disabled.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider