New Training Center for MTU Series 1600 PowerPacks inaugurated In UK

A new Training Center for MTU rail drive systems was innugurated by Rolls-Royce. It allows to expand the global Center of Excellence for Series 1600 PowerPacks at its site in East Grinstead, Great Britain. In the Training Center, Rolls-Royce experts instruct technicians of end users, dealers and distributors as well as internal service technicians in the handling and maintenance of the MTU drive systems in order to ensure maximum availability. The Training Center includes a workshop which enables hands-on training with a PowerPack and a Series 1600 engine. More than 50 technicians can participate in the three to five day long intensive courses per year. The most important customer and partner is currently Hitachi Rail: The company’s high-speed trains of Classes 800, 801 and 802 are in service on tracks all over Great Britain, powered by MTU Series 1600 PowerPacks. 

Jack Commandeur, Group Director of Maintenance Service Operations at Hitachi Rail, participated in the inauguration and said: “The new Training Center is an impressive example of Rolls-Royce’s commitment to our trains and the millions of journeys they run every year. The training of technicians from Hitachi and Rolls-Royce in the handling of MTU PowerPacks makes an important contribution to the further success of our cooperation.”

Bruce Phillips, Managing Director at MTU UK, said: “The new Training Center is an important milestone for our location which is serving our global customers as a Center of Excellence for Series 1600 rail PowerPacks. The first courses with our long-standing partner Hitachi Rail have already been completed successfully and are of great importance for the reliable service of our drive solutions.” 

The MTU Training Centers play an important role in the development of Rolls-Royce business unit Power Systems from a manufacturer of engines to a provider of integrated solutions. MTU drive solutions - like all high-tech systems - can only perform at their maximum capability in a reliable and sustainable way all over the world if they are maintained in a professional manner. This is why Rolls-Royce is constantly investing in MTU’s training programs and offers courses at MTU Training Centers in 20 countries all over the world. 

MTU PowerPacks with Series 1600 engines are characterized by their high power density, low consumption and low emissions. In Great Britain, more than 400 MTU PowerPacks of Series 1600 are currently powering Hitachi trains. The drive systems which deliver up to 700 kilowatts are also in service in Pesa DMUs and in maintenance vehicles from Harsco.