Vectrain as a medical evacuation train
posted on 3rd Nov 2026 08:31
Siemens Mobility and Lufthansa Technik Defense are jointly planning a patient transport train for military medical evacuations (MedEvac) and civilian disaster response. To this end, both companies signed a memorandum of understanding ahead of the Berlin Security Conference. The train is designed to transport more than 150 injured or ill patients and provide medical care during the journey - from basic to intensive care. The partners intend to develop it in Germany for the German Armed Forces and their NATO allies.
The train will consist of Vectouro coaches, combined with a Siemens Vectron X or Vectron X Dual Mode locomotive. Lufthansa Technik Defense equips the coaches with systems from basic stretchers (“litter racks”) to fully equipped intensive care beds (so-called Patient Transport Units). The train also offers space for up to 90 medical and support personnel. The partners are combining their decades of experience in rail vehicle manufacturing and aeromedical transport.
Thanks to their pressure-tight construction, the coaches are also suitable for high-speed routes. This enables the train to transport patients safely and quickly along the most important European lines without the need to change vehicles at the borders. Additional flexibility is provided by the combination with a Vectron X Dual Mode locomotive, ensuring the train remains operational even on non-electrified routes or in the event of an overhead line failure.
The medical technology for the train has already proven itself in the air: The German Air Force and other armed forces have been using Lufthansa Technik’s aeromedical solutions for decades. Among other platforms, this technology for example transforms the Bundeswehr’s A400M into a “flying intensive care unit.” These standardized systems are now also to be installed on the train, so that patients do not need to be transferred between beds when switching between different modes of transport.
The coaches can be flexibly equipped and reconfigured depending on the mission and care requirements - ranging from basic medical treatment to intensive care (NATO categories D1 through D4).
Steffen Bobsien, Head of Locomotives and Coaches at Siemens Mobility, said: „Together with Lufthansa Technik Defense, we are creating a high-performance MedEvac solution that combines state-of-the-art medical care with the advantages of rail transport. Based on proven technologies, we are developing a future-proof concept for flexible, fast, and reliable patient transport.”
Michael von Puttkamer, Vice President of Special Aircraft Services and Defense at Lufthansa Technik, explained: “Especially in these challenging times of geopolitical uncertainty, the capability for medical evacuation is of high strategic importance, and this applies to both land and air transport. In Siemens Mobility, we have found a strong partner to also bring our proven aeromedical solutions to the rail sector, thereby creating an end-to-end medical supply chain. In this way, we aim to further strengthen the operational readiness of the German Armed Forces and their allies.”
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