This year, the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system that Liebherr-Transportation Systems had developed for Siemens’ Thameslink rail cars successfully completed a set of tests at the climatic testing facilities of RTA Rail Tec Arsenal in Vienna (Austria). Installed in the vehicle, the HVAC system underwent various trials simulating extreme climatic conditions the system may be exposed to during operation, such as extremely high and low outside temperatures from + 40° C to -25 ° C, heavy rain, hail, strong wind and other severe weather conditions as well as different temperatures inside the vehicle. Moreover, for several days, the HVAC unit was tested under various conditions in parallel to demonstrate its robustness on board the train.
The trials at RTA Rail Tec Arsenal were part of the certification process of the Thameslink rail vehicle. They completed the temperature and performance tests Liebherr-Transportation Systems had carried out at its own test facilities in Korneuburg (Austria), before the HVAC unit was installed in the vehicle.