TAMPA, Fla. — Siemens announced plans to present its vision of U.S. high-speed rail to Florida residents with its “Future of Florida High-Speed Rail Tour,” a traveling exhibit featuring a full-sized model of the Siemens Velaro high-speed train.
The tour kicks off Oct. 7, 2010 with a special VIP event at Tampa’s Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI).
Following its Tampa debut, the “Future of Florida High-Speed Rail Tour” will continue on to other cities in Florida, including Orlando, Miami and Tallahassee. Visitors to the exhibit in each city will not only have the chance to see the Velaro, the fastest passenger train* in the world, but also the opportunity to have their questions answered by high-speed rail experts.
Guests will also be able to learn about the history of rail transportation and how high-speed rail is impacting other parts of the world today.
“We’d like to congratulate Florida on leading the charge for high-speed rail in America,” said Eric Spiegel, president and CEO of Siemens Corporation. “Not since the early days of the space program has there been such potential for growth as there is in Florida right now.”
The Velaro currently operates at high-speeds in Germany, Spain, China, Russia, France, Belgium, Switzerland and Austria. In 2006, a Velaro E trainset operated by Spain’s national rail authority, RENFE, set a world record for fastest unmodified commercial rail travel. The record-setting train achieved a top speed of 250.85 mph (403.7 km/h) running between Guadalajara and Calatayud on the Madrid-Zaragoza line.
“We want to give Floridians a taste of what a true high-speed rail train looks and feels like,” said Oliver Hauck, president of Siemens Mobility in the U.S. “Siemens Velaro trains are successfully running on some of the fastest and most important routes in the world today.”
The Tampa exhibit will be open to the public on Friday, Oct. 8, from 2 p.m. until 7 p.m. and Oct. 9 – 10, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Admission to the “Future of Florida High-Speed Rail Tour” is free and MOSI will offer a limited-time buy-one, get-one free admission price into the museum for guests visiting the High-Speed Rail Tour.
Members of the general public interested in attending the “Future of Florida High-Speed Rail Tour” can register for free by visiting www.usa.siemens.com/highspeedtour.
