Siemens Mobility excels with innovative HANNING & KAHL sanding system at the National Rail Awards 2024

Almost 1,100 railway industry experts congregated at London’s prestigious Grosvenor House Hotel on 12 September 2024 to recognise outstanding achievements and innovation at the National Rail Awards. This year’s record number of entries made the jury’s work of choosing the winners especially challenging and difficult. Accordingly, there were also highly commended mentions in many of the 19 award categories.

Siemens Mobility managed an impressive second place in the Innovation of the Year category in recognition of the variable sanding system developed by HANNING & KAHL. Known by its brand name GripMaster®, this innovative, speed-dependent sanding system has been designed specifically for diesel railcars.

The GripMaster® stands out on account of its variable dispensing rate, ranging from 1,200 grammes per minute up to an impressive 6,000 grammes per minute. This is made possible by flexible control of the valve and nozzle technology. One key advantage of the system is the continuously variable dispensing, which means the sand quantity can be precisely adapted according to whether the vehicle is accelerating or braking. This not only optimally supports the traction of the rail vehicles but also avoids the unnecessary wastage that can arise when fixed quantities of sand are used.

This advanced technology offers railway companies a way to improve the efficiency and sustainability of their trains by making optimal use of resources while increasing safety on the rails. The recognition gained through the National Rail Awards emphasises the importance of this innovation for the future of the railway industry.