Siemens lands 1.7B euro train contract

German engineering giant Siemens said yesterday it has secured a contract worth 1.7 billion euros ($1.9 billion) for the supply and maintenance of regional trains in Germany. Siemens will supply 82 trains for the new Rhine-Ruhr Express in the regional state of North Rhine-Westphalia, and provide maintenance for a period of 32 years, the company said in a statement. "This is the largest regional rail transport order ever won by Siemens in Germany." North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state in Germany and the Rhine-Ruhr region includes cities such as Cologne, Bonn, Duesseldorf and Dortmund. The contract will create around 100 new jobs, Siemens added.