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     > Train Recognition Guide Locomotives > Multiple Units Super High Speed Main Manufacturers Operators of Europe EU and the Railroading European Countries Austria Belgium Biela Russia Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Russia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Ukraine United Kingdom Other European North America Asia Australia Rest of the World         | 4rail.net - Train Recognition - Multiple Units / All |  Created for 4rail.net by Ilkka Siissalo. Pictures by Ilkka Siissalo, Sanna Siissalo, Stanislav Voronin, Hannu Peltola and John McKey.  | |
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construction ! 4rail.net Guide to Modern European Electric and Diesel Powered Regional Trains * Alstom Lint * Bombardier Talent * Siemens Desiro * Stadler GTW2/6 and GTW2/8 FLIRT * Foreword It's a popular trend in European regional train traffic that locomotive-driven traditional trains are rapidly being replaced by modern diesel or electric powered DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) or EMU (Electric Multiple Unit) trains, that is, trains without a separate locomotive. There are a handful of major train manufacturers supplying these trains and many product families have become immensely popular. Typically each manufacturer offers one or several families of regional motorised unit trains, which more or less alike can be obtained from one to six or even eight coaches long, with either diesel or electric traction, for various gauge widths and with a varying proportion of low floor space. No locomotives and low-floor are the two major trends in modern European rail traffic. This page concentrates on the local and regional traffic, you might also see the high / super high speed EMU pages. We often hear from the public that all the modern trains,"They all look alike" and that it is impossible to distinguish between the various train types and models any more. Whilst extensive train picture collections can be found for example on the Internet, a proper guide for distinguishing the various EMU and DMU types is more or less missing. 4rail.net tries now to correct this problem. So here it comes, our Guide to Modern European electric and diesel powered regional trains. The regional train market is dominated by a few very popular train types or train families, which often have fancy names such as the FLIRT or the LINT. To start with, we will here first present some of the most important train families and then proceed to point out the differences in order to help the train spotter to identify different families. Perhaps the most difficult to distinguish from one another are the Talent, LINT and Desiro families, so we will start with these. Desiro of Siemens Desiro is the trade name of a train family by the huge train manufacturer Siemens. Typically two coaches long (but occasionally three), they can be either EMU or DMU. The most common Desiros are the German Baureihe (Br = class) 642 trains of Deutsche Bahn, DB, which can be seen today virtually anywhere in Germany. The Desiro is a sleek, modern, aerodynamically shaped two-coach unit, with most often a fairly long low-floor part in the middle of the train. It looks pretty much alike for example the LINT, but has typically not so tall side windows by the driver´s cabin. The German Br 642, Austrian Br 5022, Slovenian class 312, Bulgarian BDZ class 9552 and the Greek class DMU2 are examples of Siemens Desiros. But Desiros are also used for example in Romania, Hungary, California USA and Malaysia. There is now also a type called the Desiro UK, which looks completely, absolutely different from the "normal" Desiro, despite the fact that it shares common basic technology with the normal Desiros. The Desiro UK type is quite common among various UK train operators and can also be seen for example in Thailand. UK classes 185, 350, 360, 380, 444 and 450 are all variants of the Desiro UK.  In the front of the picture an UK class 332 Desiro UK fo Heathrow Express at it's other terminal in Paddigton, London, UK. Picture by John McKey 2009. A typical German Br 642 "basic" Desiro has two coaches with aerodynamically shaped driver´s cabs at both ends, MAN diesel engines providing 275 kW of power and 100 seats. Scharfenberg type automatic couplers provide quick linking of multiple two-coach units. The trains have been very popular, but proved to be unreliable during extreme cold weather during the past harsh winters. The Swiss national railroads SBB class RBDe 514 of the Zürich area local S-Bahn network is a further development of the Siemens Desiro family. These trains, often referred to as the DTZ or Doppelstock Triebzug (doubledecker multiple unit) are a joint product of Siemens and the Swiss manufacturer Stadler. The technology is based on the Siemens Desiro family, whereas middle coaches are made by Stadler. It is a doubledecker four-coach EMU train, delivered 2006-2009 for the Zürich local commuter traffic. 60 trains have been delivered to the SBB. Top speed is 140 km/h and the power rating is 3200 kW. It doesn´t much look like the basic Desiro, but it is a good example of current ongoing further development of the most famous train families. In its newest marketing materials Siemens has renamed the first generation Desiro trains as Desiro Classic and the SBB class 514 as Desiro Double Deck. There is also now a new generation product by the name Desiro ML (mainline). It resembles the Swiss class 514, but is not a doubledecker. Desiro ML has 2, 3 or 4 coaches and 120 to 384 seats and a maximum speed of 160 km/h. It is a concept intended for longer distance runs in fast main line traffic, either regional express trains or InterCity trains. One of the very first companies to order it is the Belgian state railroad SNCB which intends to use the Desiro ML in the Brüssel (Brussels) area commuter traffic. In Germany the new Desiro ML is known as the class Br 460. Pictures of Desiro trains db-br642_desiro-miltenberg-210704-pic2.jpg A typical diesel Desiro of the German DB class 642. Picture from Miltenberg station 21.7.2004 by Ilkka Siissalo db-br642_desiro-ulm_hbf-190707-pic1.jpg Another DB Desiro photographed at 19.7.2007 at Ulm Hbf (main station) by Ilkka Siissalo. Note the typical looks of the sleek Desiro front. oebb-desiro_br5022-graz-080707-pic1.jpg A typical Austrian Desiro, this ÖBB Br 5022 is waiting for its next use at Graz station at 8.7.2007. Picture by Ilkka Siissalo.  Above: The front of an Austrian Desiro, ÖBB class 5022. Picture at Graz station 8.7.2007 by Ilkka Siissalo. sz-desiro-logatec-090707-pic1.jpg sz-desiro-logatec-090707-pic2.jpg sz-desiro-logatec-090707-pic3.jpg sz-desiro-logatec-090707-pic4.jpg sz-desiro-logatec-090707-pic5.jpg The Slovenian railways SZ class 312 is also a DMU version of the Desiro, but it has a far shorter low-floor section than the German class 642. However, note the Desiro´s characteristic front design and the extremely small driver´s cab´s side windows. Pictures at Logatec station, Slovenia, 9.7.2007 by Ilkka Siissalo. sbb-rabe514-oerlikon-301207-pic5.jpg A Swiss SBB class RABe 514 double decker Desiro stopping at the station of Oerlikon, Zürich 30.12.2007. It doesn´t much look like the classic Desiro train, but it shares the same technology nevertheless. Photo by Ilkka Siissalo.  To the Top of the PageLINT of Alstom The LINT train family is very similar to the Desiro family described above. The LINT is today the product of the French Alstom group. One coach units are called LINT 27 and include for example the German DB class Br 640. The more common two-coach unit is called LINT 41 and is known in Germany as the Br 648. The one-coach LINT 27 has a power rating of only 315 kW, a maximum speed of 120 km/h and 52 seats. The two-coach LINT 41 has two of the similar 315 kW engines, one in each coach. The model LINT was designed by the company Linke-Hoffman-Busch LHB, but the whole LHB group was later purchased by the French big manufacturer Alstom. Since then the train is also known by the name Coradia Lint, not to be confused with the Coradia train family of the same Alstom group, a completely different train. The LINT can be seen for example by the German national train company DB as well as a large number of small private companies such as the Veolia group (ex Connex) and its subsidiaries such as the NordOstBahn NOB, NordWestBahn NWB and others. In Denmark the UK owned company Arriva operates LINT trains. So does also the Danish Lokalbanen A/S as well as the Dutch company Syntus among others. A LINT and a Desiro look very, very similar, confusingly so. If you wonder which is which, look at the side windows of the driver´s cabin. The LINT´s side windows are bigger and by far taller, reaching far lower down, all the way down to the level of the lower edge of the windshield window, giving the train a more "modern" look than the Desiro. Also door windows reach all the way down, almost to the floor, whilst Siemens Desiros have far smaller door windows. Note also that the front windshield window is all one part and the train destination text display is located under the window. A Talent looks also very much the same, but has a front window separated horizonally into two parts and the destination title text is above the front window. A Desiro also has a windshield separated horizonally into two parts. Pictures of LINT trains      nob-lint-husum-050704-pic1.jpg nob-lint-husum-050704-pic2.jpg nob-lint-husum-050704-pic3.jpg nob-lint-husum-050704-pic4.jpg nob-lint-husum-050704-pic5.jpg A LINT 41 type unit of the NOB NordOstBahn, part of the French owned Veolia group (formerly Connex). Pictures at Husum station 5.7.2004 by Ilkka Siissalo nwb-lint-osnabrueck-010303-pic1.jpg The NWB NordWestBahn VT504 is another LINT 41 type train, also owned by the Veolia/Connex group. Note the broad "smiling mouth" opening at the front of the train for the Scharfenberg type automatic coupling, typical of the LINT. "The smile" of the otherwise quite similar Talent is much narrower. Picture at Osnabrück NWB base at 5.7.2004 by Ilkka Siissalo. To the Top of the PageTalent by Bombardier  The Talent is a train family developed by the Waggonfabrik Talbot, which nowadays is part of the Bombardier group as Bombardier Talbot. The name comes from TALbot LEichter Nahverkehrs Triebwagen or Talbot lightweight regional traffic multiple unit. Like the LINT and the Desiro, also the Talent is a family of trains, either DMU or EMU, can be 2, 3 or 4 coaches long and can even have active tilting for high speed use. Most Talent trains are two or 3 coach variants. It´s a very succesful train type with over 260 sold trains since 1994 and it is in extensive use in Germany (by e.g. DB, Veolia and many of its subsidiaries, Rhenus Keolis, Prignitzer Eisenbahn of the Arriva group and Regiobahn), in Austria, Norway, Hungary and Canada. The power rating depends on the version, ranging from a modest 630 kW up to 1520 kW of the electric version and the top speed varies from 100 to 140 km/h. In Germany the Talent is known as the Baureihe 643, in Norway as class BM93, in Ottawa, Canada as the O-train and in Austria as the ÖBB Br 4023 and Br 4024 / Br 4124 (Br 4124 is the 4 coach multiple system variant, handling both Austrian AC 15kV 16 Hz and Hungarian 25kV 50Hz). A Talent train looks once again very much like the LINT and the Desiro, with a sleek aerodynamically shaped driver´s cockpit, maybe still a bit more aerodynamic than those of the LINT or the Desiro. In comparison with the LINT the Talent´s frontal opening for the automatic Scharfenberg style central coupling is less broad, giving the train less of a "broad smiling face" look. The cockpit´s small side windows closely resemble those of the Desiro, but this is often confused by train operators´ habitual way of painting their trains, with glossy black paint often giving the impression of a large window (See for example the picture of the Austrian Talent Br 4023). Side door windows extend further down than in the Desiro and the train destination title text is above the front window, not beneath it. Pictures of Talent trains  This picture shows clearly the differences in the front shape between a Talent and a Desiro. The ÖBB Talent on the left has a "narrow mouth" opening for the coupler and the bottom of the windscreen glass is arched, not straight. Desiro, on the right, has a broader smiling look.   Two further views of the Austrian ÖBB´s 3 coach Talent EMU, Baureihe 4023. The Br 4023 is a three-coach version and the Br 4024 is four-coach. Both are EMU versions and look very nice in their red and white ÖBB house colours. Pictures at Salzburg Hauptbahnhof (main station) 1.5.2006 by Ilkka Siissalo db-br643-duisburg_hbf-090509-pic6.jpg db-br643-duisburg_hbf-090509-pic7.jpg This is the German DB version of the Talent. The Baureihe 643 of the DB is a three coach DMU version, very modern and nice looking. Pictures at Duisburg Hauptbahnhof (main station) 9.5.2009 by Ilkka Siissalo peg-br643-oberhausen-090509-pic2.jpg peg-br643-oberhausen-090509-pic3.jpg peg-br643-oberhausen-090509-pic4.jpg Pictures of two and three coach versions of the Talent of the Prignitzer Eisenbahn PEG. The PEG was originally an east German company from the northern parts of the ex-DDR, but now it is a part of the British Arriva group. The PEG won some public tender competitions for running local train services also in Nordrhein-Westfalen, northwest Germany, and are now using modern Talent trains to provide the service. Photos from Oberhausen station 9.5.2009 by Ilkka Siissalo. regiobahn-talent-duesseldorf-090509-pic1.jpg regiobahn-talent-duesseldorf-090509-pic2.jpg Another privately owned version of the Talent, this Regiobahn two-coach Talent DMU is running a service between Düsseldorf and Kaarst in the province of Nordrhein-Westfalen in Germany. It´s a typical diesel Talent, but shorter than the typical DB version. To the Top of the PageStadler GTW 2/6, GTW 2/8 and FLIRT The Swiss company Stadler Rail started as a subcontractor of larger train manufacturers, making first parts of trains and finally also complete unmotorized coaches. They manufactured among other things coaches with a driver's cab at one end. Breakthrough great idea was that if you take a separate engine and add to both sides of it one unmotorized coach with a driver's cab, you get a full train. This was how their breakthrough product, the GTW 2/6 got started. GTW 2/6 stands for Gelenktriebwagen (articulated joint multiple unit) with two motorized axles out of a total of 6 axles. The basic design was that of a very small, boxlike engine (either diesel or electric) in the middle of the train, attached to two separate coaches with a cab. The trains were available both as diesel and as electric and for various gauge widths. The initial designs of the cab coaches were also very boxlike - well, honestly - outright UGLY. It´s interesting to see how the design of the driver's cab gradually changed from the ugly boxlike initial design towards a more aerodynamically and attractively designed cab, much like the Desiro, LINT and Talent described above. This became nevertheless a great success, first among the Swiss private narrow gauge railroads, but soon also in other countries. The next step for Stadler besides making the driver's cab more and more aerodynamically shaped was to add a third unmotorized coach, thus creating the GTW 2/8.  Above the "current design" on the Arriva Netherlands example of the GTW2/8 diesel version and below a slightly older BLS GTW 2/6 EMU in Switzerland. Pictures by Ilkka Siissalo, GTW 2/8 in Groningen, The Netherlands and BLS GTW 2/6 in Bern, Switzerland.  While the cab design of the GTW 2/8 already had reached a level of a very modern and sleek design, the next step of Stadler was to get rid of their great initial invention, the boxlike engine coach in the middle. The engine and other relevant equipment was moved on top of the roof and under the floor. This resulted in the FLIRT EMU, one of the most successful modern regional train designs of all times. FLIRT stands for "Flinker, Leichter, Innovativer RegionalbahnTriebwagen" or rapid, lightweight, innovative regional multiple unit (also inaccurately but fitting the initial letters translated as Fast, Light, Innovative Regional Train). It is typically two to six coaches long EMU Train. FLIRTs are being used all over the world, for example in Germany (DB, Cantus, Abellio, WestfalenBahn, Eurobahn, others), Switzerland (SBB, SOB, AareSeeland mobil), Hungary (MAV), Algeria, Finland (PJK/VR), Poland, Norway (soon by NSB, the type has been in tests), Italy / Südtirol, France and others. Since 2004 Stadler has sold over 700 FLIRT units to all possible gauge and loading gauge widths ranging from narrow gauge to the Finnish wide gauge 1524 mm. A typical "basic FLIRT" like the Swiss class RABe 523 has a max speed of either 140 or 160 km/h and a power rating of 2000 kW (at four coach variants). Currently Stadler has also launched a double decker variant of the FLIRT, which is basically a further development of the double decker Desiro, the RABe 514 of SBB, a joint product of Siemens and Stadler. This is expected to be a major player for longer distance locomotiveless express train use, especially in Switzerland. The new Stadler Dosto has already been sold to SBB/CFF for its regional traffic and pushes the speed envelope all the way to 200 km/h (124 mph) while adding the first tilting mechanism for the double decked EMUs! A true marvel of the Stadler engineering talent and aggressive sales! GTW 2/6, GTW 2/8 and FLIRT pictures  The GTW 2/6 of BTI, Biel-Täuffelen-Ims-Bahn is part of the narrow gauge AareSeeland mobil network of central Switzerland. It is one of the very early Stadler GTW 2/6´s, and yes, at least to my eye it is VERY ugly with its boxlike design. Note the exotic automatic central coupling. Picture at Ims station, Switzerland at 5.10.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo. mob-be2-6_stadler_gtw2-6-stlegier-230103-pic1.jpg mob-be2-6_stadler_gtw2-6-stlegier-230103-pic2.jpg mob-be2-6_stadler_gtw2-6-stlegier-230103-pic3.jpg The GTW 2/6 of the MOB / Chemin de Fer léger de la Riviera is a narrow gauge train operating in the mountainous region above Montreaux, up the steep hillsides from Lac Leman (Lake Geneva). It is also a prime example of the very early Stadler GTW 2/6 designs, a very boxlike train. Note how the front and the windscreen design have already developed from the initial design shown at the photos of the BTI/AareSeeland mobil train. Photo at 23.1.2003 at St Legier by Ilkka Siissalo. rhb-bdeh36-25-rorschach-290902-pic1.jpg This RHB Rorschach-Heiden-Bergbahn train is not actually a GTW 2/6 but a rare GTW 3/6. It is namely a narrow gauge train with not just adhesion traction, but also a third rack rail cog wheel traction system. The RHB is - or was - a very small Swiss company operating just one line up from Rorschach at the level of the Bodensee lake to Heiden high up on the Appenzeller mountains. Today the RHB is part of the Appenzeller Bahnen AB. If you compare this train with the two previously shown older GTW 2/6s, you will notice that the steering cab´s design is already a bit less like a box. There is now also a package department added behind the driver´s cab. mib-be44-8-innertkirchen-271002-pic3.jpg The small Be 4/4 number 8 of the Meiringen-Innertkirchen Bahn MIB, a very small narrow gauge train operator from Central Switzerland is not exactly a GTW 2/6, but as you can clearly see it belongs to the same Stadler family. It is a one-coach model, but with very similar driver´s cabs like the early GTW 2/6s. Photo at Innertkirchen 27.10.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo. lilo-22-155-stadler_gtw2-6-linz-030103.jpg The Linzer Lokalbahn LILO of Austria is one of the many Stadler GTW 2/6 customers. This train shows yet again a front part made "more modern" and showing a next step in Stadler´s design. On the right a LILO train from the 1960s ? notice the size difference. Photo at Linz LILO station 3.1.2003 by Ilkka Siissalo. YSteC-gtw2-6-ste_croix-140707-pic1.jpg YSteC-gtw2-6-ste_croix-140707-pic3.jpg The Swiss Yverdon - Ste Croix YStC railroad narrow gauge GTW 2/6 "Le Thiéle" is from the year 2001. Once again it shows a more sophisticated and more beautiful design of the cab, although the small boxlike engine coach at the middle of the train still remains the same. bls-rm-stadler_gtw2-6-bern-191204.jpg The front of a brand new Swiss Regionalbahn Mittelland RM train of the type GTW 2/6 from 2004, just shortly after the RM and the BLS Lötschbergbahn companies had been merged. The train still shows the red RM livery and at the front the old RM logo, which then subsequently was adopted as the new brand logo of the merged company BLS. This photo is from the Bern Hauptbahnhof (main station) at 19.12.2004 by Ilkka Siissalo. Note how the GTW 2/6 cab´s front has yet again evolved towards a very modern sleek design, which now is identical with the later FLIRT designs. This train is very similar to the many GTW 2/6´s now found in Germany, for example those of the DB. sbb-rbe520_seetalbahn_stadler_gtw2-8-lenzburg-090103.jpg The Swiss SBB´s RABe 520 was the next step in the chain of Stadler´s evolution. As you can see, the front part is now identical with the later FLIRT designs, but this train is no longer a GTW 2/6 but a GTW 2/8: One more additional middle coach has been added, but the boxlike short engine coach is still there in the middle. The class 520 was a special case: Due to the extremely narrow profiles of the Seetalbahn line between Lenzburg and Luzern, the trains are narrower than usual. Therefore also the front seems narrower than most FLIRT designs. Picture of the then brand new train at Lenzburg station 9.10.2003 by Ilkka Siissalo.   sbb-rbe521_flirt-weil-170707-pic2.jpg This is Stadler´s FLIRT, which became a huge success. Now the small boxlike middle engine coach is gone. The engines are under floor and transformers and other equipment on the roof. This is the four coach long EMU version, in Switzerland class 521. The Swiss SBB classes 521, 522, 523 and 524 are all FLIRT trains with differing lenghts and some with the capabiity to run into the French Alsace (Elsass) or Italian Lombardia and capable of handling the French or Italian electricity system. This picture is from Germany, but close to the Swiss border, at Weil am Rhein station, close to Basel 17.7.2007 by Ilkka Siissalo. sbb-rabe524_tilo-bellinzona-060508-pic2.jpg The FLIRT of SBB type RABe 524 alias Italian ETR 150 is the so called TILO or Treni Reggionali Ticino Lombardia, a regional train which crosses the Swiss-Italian border. This is a multiple electric system FLIRT, capable of running on both the Swiss AC 15 kV as well as the Italian DC 3 kV. It has the classification marks of both countries, showing both the Swiss RABe 524 as well as the Italian class ETR 150 markings on its sides. Picture from Bellinzona station, Ticino, Switzerland at 6.5.2008 by Sanna Siissalo.  Above: The first FLIRTs of the German company Abellio Rail were the first ones which were only two coaches long. In this version only one bogie is motorised. This picture shows the brand new Abellio FLIRTs even before they even got the permission to be used on German tracks. Therfore the train is still missing Abellio´s texts and even the serial number. It was being run for testing on behalf of Stadler Rail. Photo at Ulm Hauptbahnhof (Ulm main station) at 19.7.2007 by Ilkka Siissalo. sob-rbe526_stadler_flirt-waedenswil-301207-pic2.jpg sob-rbe526_stadler_flirt-waedenswil-301207-pic1.jpg sob-rbe526_stadler_flirt-samstagern-301207-pic1.jpg The same train looks different in totally different livery. This is the Swiss class RABe 526 of the SOB Südostbahn, a four coaches long EMU FLIRT. Photos at Wädenswil and Samstagern stations at 30.12.2007 by Ilkka Siissalo.  Picture: A Finnish version of the Flirt EMU in Kerava, early 2009. Notice the lower roof, due to high 25kV voltage, The coaches are also noticeably broader than in Central European FLIRTs. This is the first broad gauge (1524mm) version of the FLIRT. Picture by Stanislav Voronin. To the Top of the Page
RegioShuttle / RegioSprinter The RegioShuttle was originally a train concept of Siemens and ADtranz (owned by ABB and Daimler-Chrysler). After the bankruptcy of ADtranz, Stadler Rail aquired some of ADtranz´s factories and as a side product gained rights to the RegioShuttle. The RegioShuttle was initially designed as a family of one to two coach diesel trains in a "railbus" style. The two-coach RS2 model never got well off, whereas the single coach RS1 version became very popular. Today it forms the backbone of a large number of private train operators especially in Germany. The RegioShuttle can really be found in more than ten different colours in Germany by the various companies and groups of companies and it also daily crosses the German-Swiss and German-Czech borders as well. It has been tested in the USA and Canada and is also in use in Denmark. The RegioShuttle RS1 is a lightweight buslike one-coach train, with a powerful MAN diesel engine taken out of a normal bus. Top speed is 100 km/h. Drivers like it especially for its good acceleration and braking properties. When the model was launched in the mid-1990s it was the only modern up-to-date, cheap and lightweight rail bus available for the private companies. Public tendering of rail services had just begun and the sales of the RS1 were booming. Today however, popular as the RS1 has been, it looks like new units are no more being built and newer concepts such as Stadler´s GTW 2/6 and FLIRT are rapidly replacing it. The RegioShuttle RS1 is easily identified by its bus-like looks, triangular side windows and tall driver´s cabs at both ends. The early models had their destination text displays above the front windscreen window, whereas newer ones have the display under the window. Otherwise the model has changed very little. Most RegioShuttles are part low-floor, with the middle section of the coach being low-floor and the engine residing under taller floor towards the front part of the vehicle. Based on the old co-operation Siemens also gained rights to the concept and has been selling a further development product under the name RegioSprinter. This looks very much like the RegioShuttle from the front, but does no more have the triangular side windows, but instead has large low-floor parts with tall windows. These trains are also usually longer, up to four coaches. The RegioSprinter of Siemens was actually a precursor of the Desiro (described above) and as matter of fact the very first Desiros were for a while being marketed as RegioSprinter 2. Pictures of the RegioShuttle eib-rs1-oerlenbach-200707-pic1.jpg Two RS1 units make up here the "Unterfranken shuttle" of the Erfurter Bahn EIB. Photo at Oerlenbach, eastern Germany 20.7.2007 by Ilkka Siissalo.  hzl-regioshuttle_rs1-donaueschingen-180707-pic2.jpg Another RegioShuttle RS1, this time one from the Hohenzollerische Landesbahn HzL. This one is one of the newer RS1s, as can be seen from the destination text label being placed under the front windscreen window. These RS1s are daily active outside Germany as well as the HzL operates a line to the Swiss city of Schaffhausen. HzL RS1s can occasionally be seen as far "inland" in Switzerland as Zürich. Picture at 18.7.2007 at the Donaueschingen station, Baden-Württemberg, Germany by Ilkka Siissalo. osb-regioshuttle_rs1-ortenau280203-pic1.jpg These RegioShuttles of the OSB Ortenau S-Bahn are of the early series, as can be seen from the destination label text being high up above the front window. Picture from the Offenburg station 28.3.2003 by Ilkka Siissalo.  bsb-rs1-freiburg-150902-pic1.jpg The RegioShuttle is being used also at the local S-Bahn service at Freibug im Breisgau in Southern Germany. Photo from the Freiburg im Breisgau station 15.9.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo. To the Top of the PageCoradia by Alstom The Coradia is a train family of the French group Alstom. The very first Coradia train, the Lirex was a very fancy prototype with round side windows and, frankly, very odd looks. Nevertheless it was a platform prototype which later developed into a widely proliferating train family. As is the case with for example the Desiro, also the Coradia is a family with several different looking train type "branches". The Coradia 1000 family of the UK has two interesting members. The UK class 175 Coradia operates in Wales and class 180 is the Adelante, a high speed train of the First Great Western railways. UK classes 334, 458 and 460 are known as the Coradia Juniper subfamily, a totally UK based branch of the family. The Coradia LINT is a new name for the LINT train family already described elsewhere at 4rail.net. Since the purchase of the LINT's producer, the Linke-Hoffman-Busch company, Alstom has used its own brand name Coradia in connection also with this train. The Lirex prototypes' further developments were first marketed under the Coradia Lirex name, but are now known as the Coradia Continental and Coradia Nordic. The Coradia Continental is the German Br 440, used by both the DB and some private operators. The Coradia Nordic variety is very similar, but it has better insulation and heating to sustain the Nordic harsh winter conditions. The Coradia Nordic's first user was the SL, Storstockholms Lokaltrafik, the local commuter train operator of Stockholm, Sweden. It's known in Sweden as the class X60 and X61. Besides the SL the same type has now been addtionally sold to other operators in Sweden, for example to the Pågatåget service of the southern province of Skåne.  Above a Swedish double decked SJ X40 Coradia Duplex nearing its destination at the Stocholm Central. Picture by John McKey. The Coradia train family has also now a double decker variety, the Coradia Duplex. It is known in Sweden as the X40 (used for example for regional express trains around the Stockholm area, among other places). In France it's known as the SNCF's class Z24500 and Z26500, in Luxembourg as the CFL's class 2200. All in all, the Coradia trains are fairly long, locomotiveless InterCity or Regional Express type trains, which compete head-on with for example the longer variants of the Stadler's FLIRT family but are more focused on the fast mainline traffic, exactly like the competing Desiro ML of Siemens. They are used in several countries and are intended mainly for fast main line services with plenty of passengers. They are availabe both as EMU or DMU types, one level or double decker, low-floor or non-low-floor, and like their main competitors, they are built modularly in such a way that it is later possible to change the train's inner design, doors etc. quite easily if and when the usage profile of the train changes due to abrupt changes at public tenders. Technical details vary with the differing types, but as an example the Coradia Nordic, which the Swedish operators Norrtåg and Västtrafik have now ordered are 4 coaches long, have a maximum speed of 180 km/h and have 228 seats. In Sweden alone, Alstom has sold already over 140 Coradia trains. Pictures of Coradia trains sj-x40-stockholm_central-131208-pic1.jpg The Swedish X40 is a common sight at the Stockholm Central station, operating many of the regional express or medium range express trains. It´s an example of the double decker Coradia Duplex family. The Coradia Duplex´es have a maximum speed (depending on the configuration) of 130 to 200 km/h, they can be 2 to 5 coaches long with 185 to 576 seats. They are known in France as the SNCF´s classes Z24500 and Z26500, in Luxembourg as the CFL class 2200 and in Sweden as the class X40. They are easily recognised by the somewhat special "round mouth" looks caused by the round frontal opening for the automatic coupler and the flat, from the upper part rounded winscreen window, which is straight-on inherited from the very first Lirex prototype of the late 1990s. Picture at Stockholm Central by Ilkka Siissalo at 13.12.2008. sncf-z24500-grenoble-260607-pic1.jpg The French SNCF´s class Z24500 is also a Coradia Duplex train, but the front part looks slightly different from the Swedish X40. This model is somewhat newer and therefore looks somewhat less like the original old Lirex prototype. Nevertheless the technology and passenger compartments are more or less equal to the Swedish variety. Picture at Grenoble station 26.6.2007 by Ilkka Siissalo.  The Coradia Nordic X60 of the SL seen from far away with a telephoto lens. These trains are used by the Stockholm local commuter train service operator the SL, but they are fast, large capacity trains intended for main line services. For example this train is running a service all the way to Södertälje Central, which is fairly far away from Stockholm. The Coradia Nordic X60 is 107,1 metres long, has 6 coaches, 374 seats and a top speed of 160 km/h. Picture at Stockholm Central station 19.1.2008 by Ilkka Siissalo. To the Top of the Page
Minuetto by Alstom  The Minuetto is an Italian train family, now produced by the French Alstom group. Although the basic concept is actually a bit older than that of the Coradia trains, Alstom often wants to portray the Minuetto as a further development of the Coradia family. And yes, in some features they look alike: the front is fairly similar, but the sides are not. The Minuetto trains are regional express or local commuter trains, either diesel or electric. Alstom delivered the first ones in September 2004 and now they are in use throughout Italy, both by the national FS and private operators. A Minuetto unit is 51,9 metres long, 3 coaches fixed together, partly low-floor. It has 122 seats and can take over 200 passengers. Top speed of the diesel version is 130 km/h and the elecric version 160 km/h.  Above: An electric Minuetto train at the Padova station 10.7.2007, picture by Ilkka Siissalo. Below: The diesel Minuetto looks exactly like the electric one, just without the pantograph. Picture at Trieste station 9.7.2007 by Ilkka Siissalo.  To the Top of the PageNINA, Mont Blanc Express, Lötschberger Text is still missing, see http://www.s-bahn-bern.ch/fileadmin/user_upload/medienmitteilungen /20011212.pdf SNCF-MC class Z800 alias BDeh 4/8 to be added here as well. http://wapedia.mobi/de/Chemin_de_Fer_de_Martigny_au_Ch%C3%A2telard Der Lötschberger to be added here German S-Bahn trains Br 420, Br 423-426, Br 422 by Alstom, Bombardier etc. A train "family" certainly worth displaying is the successful series of urban city pendel or "S-Bahn" trains, the first of which, Br 420 is already fairly old. The Br 420 is often referred to as the "olympic train" because the first ones were taken into service just right in time for the München olympic games 1972. It was designed for urban commuter traffic in München (Munich), Frankfurt and Stuttgart areas, but was later used also in many other places. It was built by a consortium of companies including LHB (now Alstom) and Düwag (now Siemens). It is - or was - a 67,4m long fixed 3 coach EMU with a top speed of 120 km/h. It´s now officially taken out of service, although occasionally some examples can still be seen with some luck. When they were new the trains were painted dark blue and light grey (München) or orange and light grey, but later almost all were repainted to the current "traffic red" livery. Some trains were 2001-06 rented to Sweden, to Storstockholms Lokaltrafik SL, where they were called the class X420.  The German DB Br 420 S-Bahn trains of the 1970s. Above: Original orange-grey painting, picture in München 3.1.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo. Below: Br 420 in the latest "traffic red livery". Picture at Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof 3.10.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.  Some efforts were made by the DB to modernise the aging Br 420 trains, but the plans were dropped and the trains were quickly replaced by a new set of S-Bahn trains, the classes Br 423-426. These trains were built by a consortium including the companies Adtranz, Alstom LHB and Bombardier and were taken into service from 1998 onwards. Br 423 is a four coach 140 km/h variant with 192 seats, Br 424 is a 246 seats four coach 140 km/h version, Br 425 is a four coach variant with 228 seats and a top speed of 160 km/h and Br 426 is a two coach and 160 km/h version with only 112 seats. But they all look alike. The whole train is "one fixed tube" and passengers can freely walk from one coach to the next without any doors. The Br 423-426 family is a very common one. Alone the Br 423 has been built in 462 copies and these trains can be seen everywhere in Germany, but only in the service of the national state owned DB AG.  Br 423 S-Bahn trains. Above: Br 423 on an underground S-Bahn station in München 3.1.2002. Photo by Ilkka Siissalo. Below: Two units of Br 423 on the München - München airport service at Hallbergmoos station 14.6.2002. Photo by Ilkka Siissalo.  Below: Br 425 at Duisburg Hauptbahnhof (main station) 9.5.2009. Picture by Ilkka Siissalo.  The Br 423-426 have been very popular, but there have also been a couple of hiccups. The frontal parts are not necessarily strong enough in case of an accident. Also during the autumn season with a lot of slippery rotten leaves on the tracks, the brakes have not been powerful enough. Finally a revised new version was designed. The Br 422 has a slightly modified and more crash-proof front. DB ordered in 2005 85 trains of this new version from a consortium of Alstom and Bombardier. 65 of these have now been taken into service in the Ruhr area, especially around the city of Düsseldorf. But even as the production of the Br 422 was running, a still newer type, the Br 430 was developed. These are expected to come to service from 2012 onwards. Br 422 is a four coach 69,43m long unit with a top speed of 140 km/h and 192 seats and about 350 places for standing passengers.  Above: Br 422 at Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof 9.5.2009. Picture by Ilkka Siissalo. To the Top of the PageRegina by Bombardier The train family Regina was originally developed by Swedish engineers working for the Kalmar Verkstad company, which is now part of the Canadian Bombardier group. The Regina was designed as a regional express train with a slightly broader coach to fit 2+3 seating. Although it was initially a regional train, it has been now produced for short distance commuter train traffic, regional traffic as well as long distance InterCity traffic. In Sweden the train classes X50, X51, X52, X53, X54 and X55 are all Reginas, varying in length from 53,9m of the 2 coach variant to even 11 coaches long variants, some of which have been sold even to China.  Above: Two coach version X52 of the Regina, here owned and operated by Tågkompaniet / Tåg i Bergslagen. Picture at Borlänge station, Sweden 23.8.09 by Ilkka Siissalo The Regina has been a succesful design and now based on this success Bombardier and other companies are planning to use it as the future platform for next generation "bullet trains". For this purpose one example of a two coach Regina, named Gröna Tåget or the Green Train has been fitted with new tilting technology and new bogies and has been tested in operation with speeds of over 300 km/h.  Above: The Gröna Tåget, green train, is a testbed for using the Regina trains as future long distance bullet trains. This train has been used in traffic in speeds over 300 km/h. Photo in Mora, Sweden, 23.8.2009 by Ilkka Siissalo. To the Top of the PageBaleine / Wal by Alstom The "Blue whale" or Baleine, in German Wal, is a modern one coach diesel rail bus built by Alstom of France. Officially it is known as the Alstom Coradia A TER rail bus, in France SNCF classes X73500 to X73900, in Germany DB Br 641 and in Luxemburg CFL class Z2100. Its design was started as a joint project of LHB of Germany and De Dietrich Ferroviare of France, which both were later bought by the French Alstom group.  "Red whales". Above: CFL Z2106 in Luxembourg 12.5.2002. Below: Two German DB Br 641 "Wal" rail buses at Basel Badische Bahnhof 25.3.2002. Both pictures by Ilkka Siissalo.  The Baleine is a single coach rail bus, which tries to compete for example with the Regio Shuttle of Stadler. It´s 28,9 metres long, has 80 seats and is diesel powered. The Baleines are fairly common throughout France, especially on SNCF´s mountainous routes and less frequently served side tracks. The design has not been a sales success though, with only a small number sold outside SNCF to the national railroads of Luxemburg and to the German DB. In Germany these trains have been paid by the local governments of Baden-Württemberg for operations around Basel and Saarland for connecting Saarbrücken with neighbouring Lorraine. In Saarland there are even two Baleines, paid by the Saarland government, which are painted in the German DB red paint, but are marked with French SNCF stickers and are operated by the French. As often with French design, the Baleine is beautiful and comfortable, but not without technical problems. Among other things, the rail bus is long to be just one stiff unit and has quite small wheels, which occasionally leads into trouble in switches. It´s also very low and is said to have trouble with mountain snow, especially as the diesel engine is not particularly strong. But it is a beautiful and special example of modern train design.  When one looks at the pictures of the front parts of the blue French Baleines and especially the air intake grids underneath the front, it´s no wonder where the nickname blue whale comes from. To the Top of the PagePoland, Denmark, Norway, Czech Texts still missing cd-class471-praha-010603.jpg CD class 471 doubledecker 1.6.03 Praha, 3-coach doubledecker, 3 kv DC. France Many modern EMUs are missing. High Speed EMUs can be found at TGV/AGV page. | |||
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