Regular commuters on the Munich subway are increasingly annoyed by delays or cancellations of their trips. “Due to technical problems…” is usually announced over the loudspeaker. Is that really true? If so, what technical problems do they repeat so reliably? And because?
What may sometimes seem like a joke to busy subway passengers actually has a main motive and many consequences, reports the Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) newspaper. The fire protection systems in the metro park are currently being replaced, which is more complicated than expected.
Some fire protection systems have up to 150 defects.
Vehicles of types B and C1, manufactured in 1987 and 2002 respectively, are affected by modernization. The older Type A vehicles, on the other hand, will be phased out in 2029, meaning they will no longer need to be retrofitted. C2 vehicles manufactured in 2016 also do not require repair, since the new fire protection systems are already installed on them.
But shipped vehicles often return poorly adapted. They had up to 150 defects: perforation or faulty wiring, etc. Corresponding claims for damages will be submitted to the modernizers, according to Maximilian Kaltner, MVG spokesman for the “SZ”. But the delays put a strain on Munich's already tight schedule.
Even properly installed fire protection systems cause problems today
But that's not all, the new fire protection systems that have already been installed have also gone crazy lately. In winter false alarms occurred on some trains up to twice a day. However, as soon as an alarm is activated, correctly or incorrectly, the affected train must, if possible, be returned to the workshop on the same day for safety reasons to undergo a technical inspection.
This costs MVG 1,500 euros per inspection and the passengers time and nerves, says Kaltner.
The plan is to go through the carnival and the European Championship.
As MVG reports on its website, vehicle modernizations include, in addition to everything else, track repairs and replacements. However, during the carnival weekend and during the European football championship, construction will be interrupted so that the world can celebrate and enjoy football in the capital of Bavaria.
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