Pendolino

The ETR Pendolino is a motorized Rame pendular with high speed developed and built by the company Italy FIAT Ferroviaria (repurchased in 2000 by Alstom).

Development in Italy

This material is in service in Italy since 1968 but also in many foreign countries in the various versions which followed one another the wire of time:

ETR 401 - prototype of 1960,
ETR 450 - 1st version in service only in Italy,
ETR 460 - 2nd series and 1st version polytension, intended for the Milan-Lyon connection in the years 1990, this same version was used as a basis for the models intended for the overseas markets, German and Finnish in particular,
ETR 470 - 3rd series intended for the connection Cisalpino between Italy, Switzerland and Germany. Cisalpino recently ordered 25 specimens of last version ETR 610 to supplement its fleet.
ETR 480 -485 - 4th series, polytension.
ETR 600 -610 - series in the course of development for Cisalpino.

Sales in Europe

Many countries in the world acquired oars FIAT ETR Pendolino in addition to Italy: Spain, Finland, Portugal, Slovenia, Swiss

October 5th, 2007, the Russian railroads - RZD - placed order of 4 oars to ensure the connection between Saint Petersbourg and Helsinki in Finland, way of 450 km. The delivery of the oars is awaited for the first quarter 2009.

This order changes to 440 the number of oars FIAT Pendolino in 12 countries in the world.

, Tchéquie (Pendolino MINOR ROAD 680) and the United Kingdom (Class 390 Pendolino, photograph above).

Material exploited in Finland

The material delivered to Finland, of the type S220, was developed starting from the type FIAT Pendolino ETR 460 of the railroads Italian and adapted to the specifications required by VR, and to the climatic conditions appreciably different from those of Italy. The first two oars were manufactured by Rautaruukki-Transtech, manufacturer Finnish who forms part of the Spanish group now Talgo.

The Pendolino was conceived like an electric oar motorized in order to maintain the Center of gravity on a very low level, which allows the train negotiating the curves at an high speed of 35% with that permitted by a traditional train (Locomotive + towed cars).

The type S220, like the FIAT ETR 460, constitutes the third generation of the Pendolino, in service in Italy since 1988. The electrical equipment of a continuous power of 4000 kw, includes/understands a chopper/converter GTO and asynchronous motors. The system of pendulation activates, placed entirely under the cases, made it possible to reorganize the interior fitting of the cars. The attachment between cases is extremely simple and facilitates the operations of maintenance.

The cases, manufactured starting from elements in extruded Aluminum, are modular and authorize a notable lowering of the center of gravity, while respecting the security standards in force, and make it possible to optimize the exploitation of space according to the Gabarit authorized.

The oars intended for VR (railroads Finnish) include/understand six cases in two elements, each element including/understanding two motor coaches equipped with a converter /inverseur 4QC with four engines of traction (one by Bogie), plus a trailer equipped with equipment with high voltage (25 Kv, 50 Hz) and with a transformer of traction. The cars of ends comprise a driving cabin with the airfoil; one of the trailers is equipped with a bar.

However it appears that at a temperature lower than -40°C Pendolino (S220) used in Finland do not function always correctly. Only one incident of the kind at summer brought back on February 25th, 2007 on the Tampere-Helsinki line, kind VR to redirect the travellers towards other trains or buses.

Use of the FIAT Pendolino ETR 485 in the United Kingdom

Virgin Trains ordered a series of 60 Pendolini which is in exploitation on “West Coast Main Line” whose company is Concession naire in the United Kingdom.

February 23rd, 2007, one of the trains ensuring the London-Glasgow connection left its rails to 20:15 local time. This accident made 1 died and 22 wounded, including five seriously. The shortly after the drama the investigations confirmed that the accident was due to a problem of shunting, the train rather having contributed to the reduction of the number of wounded thanks to its great rigidity.

Features

Maximum speed: 320 km/h
Cruising speed: 235 km/h
Power: 6.800 K W
Traction: eight three-phase asynchronous motors
Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h: 57 S 810 m (a=0,50 m/s ²); Acceleration from 0 to 200 km/h: 193 S 6.800 m (a=0,37 m/s ²)
Distance stopping from 140 to 0 km/h: 750 m (a=1,01 m/s ²); Stopping distance from 200 to 0 km/h: 1.650 m (a=0,94 m/s ²)
Effort tractive on the rim: 163 K NR
Length: 158,9 m; Width of the cases: 3,2 m; Height: 3,73 m
Mass: 328 T
Peak load by Axle: 14,3 T
Diameter of the wheels: new 890 mm, limit 850 mm
maximum Angle of pendulation: 8°
Full number of sitted places: 309
Maximum level of interior noise: 65 dBa

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