New Swiss EC250 EMU

[Densha]

Stadler will deliver these EMU's for use through the Gotthard base tunnel among others:

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/traction-rolling-stock/single-view/view/stadler-wins-gotthard-base-tunnel-high-speed-train-contract.html

Pics: http://www.bahnonline.ch/wp/74752/rollmaterial-beschaffung-nord-sued-verkehr-sbb-vergibt-auftrag-29-neue-zuege-an-stadler-rail.htm

 

Looks very great! Both the aesthetic and practical design looks fantastic!

[kvp]

Classic jackobs bogie based Stadler train (the company actually contains all old swiss railway factories). The equipment is housed in the heads, under the short high floor sections behind the cabs. Other than that, it's a 100% low floor design. Simple, elegant and capable of high speeds on less than optimal tracks. The design is actually very similar to the first generation TGV-s, but the traction equipment has srunk from a whole power car to about 1/8th of the head cars. In proper terms, this is not an EMU, but an articulated railcar, which helps eliminating redundancies and allows the low floor design. I like it!

[miyakoji]

So this varies from JR East's E331 in that the 331 really was an EMU (most or all trucks were powered, it wasn't pulled from either end by power cars)?  The basic problem that the train must be treated as a whole still remains, as far as I can see.  It must not pose a problem for SBB.

 

I'd think the weight reduction would be significant, and therefore the reduction in power consumption would be significant.  But as we know, JRE has scrapped that train.  Too dramatic of a change, even for a lower electric bill?

[disturbman]

The design is actually very similar to the first generation TGV-s.

 

I gather you mean the general architecture of the train set as the front-end design looks quite similar to the one found on the motor cars since the PBKAs (96-97). But the TGV Sud-Est had two motor cars and two additional powered bogies at each extremities of the trailer consist, not just two motor cars. The configuration is: Bo'Bo'-Bo'+7*2+Bo'-Bo'Bo'. A railcar with a simple and limited form of distributed power.

[kvp]

 

But as we know, JRE has scrapped that train. Too dramatic of a change, even for a lower electric bill?

The Swiss railways have a good operational history with single unit trains and railcars. In Japan, the common solution was the multiple unit train. Completly different strategies and completly different areas (intercity/trans europe versus commuter). These trains are actually closest in usage patterns to the classic Odakyu romancecars.

 

 

I gather you mean the general architecture of the train set as the front-end design looks quite similar to the one found on the motor cars since the PBKAs

Not really, i meant the form of propulsion and the jackobs bogie based design. The predecessors of these trains are the flirt railcars having the same low floor and propulsion design and similar front ends but in a suburban commuter configuration. (and usually used in double and triple configurations) The original tgv had two power cars (locomotives) and a single articulated trailer with 2 motor bogies in a cow-calf configuration. Due to advances in technology, it is possible to shrink the power cars into fraction of the front cars. The only question is the number of powered bogies. If this were a locomotive hauled train (like a railjet), then we would usually have 2 powered bogies on a 4 axle locomotive. By moving these two bogies and the traction equipment into the end cars, we en up with a Bo-2-...-2-Bo railcar that has similar traction properties as a modern locomotive hauled train. The overall cost of operation and the number of parts is similar to the conventional train. The only drawback is the slow acceleration due to the 4 powered axles that is also a problem for railjets, but this isn't really a serious problem for long distance trains with only a few stops. The good side is a lighter and cheaper train that also consumes less electricity. The jackobs bogie design is actually just a simple way to make the trains almost 100% low floor. (in reality half of the the end sections with the traction equipment and the power bogies are high floor and this is also good for crash safety) For maintenance, the solution is to make them modular. You can remove the traction equipment containers and the power bogies without taking the whole train apart. Also the company prefers doing a 24 hour routine maintenance every 1 or 2 months at one of their factories to avoid breakdowns and they try to replace parts before they actually break. This results in a relatively unlimited lifetime for the trains as long as there are spare parts available.

 

ps: Actually currently the hungarian national railways is trying to replace all old (in many cases steam era slamdoor) commuter and inter regio rolling stock with Stadler Flirt railcars. This is noting new, since in the 1930-ies Hungary adapted (via Austria) the Swiss integra ats with signalling, train marker lights, rolling stock classification and general rolling stock designs.

[bikkuri bahn]

Premier at Innotrans 2016:

 

Promo video:

[Socimi]

Finally an high-speed design wich doesn't involve Ultra-Super-Mega-Futuristic fetaures!

 

YAY!

Edited September 27, 2016 by DavideTreni