Sumitomo Metals and Sumitomo Corporation Conclude Long-Term Contract to Supply High-speed Railway Wheels to Deutsche Bahn

Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo Metals) and Sumitomo Corporation have signed a three-year contract to supply high-speed railway wheels to Deutsche Bahn AG (DB)(*1). The wheels will be used for the Inter City Express (ICE)(*2), DB's high-speed train. This is the first long-term contract that Sumitomo Metals and Sumitomo Corp. have concluded for supply of this type of wheel in Europe.

Test runs of Sumitomo Metals' high-speed railway wheels for ICE cars have been conducted since 2003. As the wheels have been highly acclaimed for their abrasion resistance and other qualities, Sumitomo Metals entered the market on a full-scale on this occasion by concluding a contract to supply the wheels over the next three years.

In addition to various Shinkansen lines in Japan, Sumitomo Metals supplies high-speed railway wheels in Taiwan and China. With progress in modal shift caused by global environmental problems, the U.S., Brazil, Vietnam, India, and some other countries are planning to build high-speed railways.

Sumitomo Metals' railway wheels have been acclaimed not only in Japan but overseas. In addition to the current mainstay products of freight car wheels for North American market, the Company will make aggressive efforts to grow sales of high-speed railway wheel in overseas markets.

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*1 Deutsche Bahn AG
Deutsche Bahn AG is the largest railway company in Germany and is wholly owned by the German government.

*2 Inter City Express (ICE)
ICE is Deutsche Bahn's high-speed train. ICE began its operation in 1991 and goes as far as Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, France, and other European countries.

Deutsche Bahn AG Inter City Express (ICE)