2/2005

In December 2004 the first six units of the second series of 28 Class 411s entered service for DB. These new trains are known as ICT 2, and were built under a policy of „Erfahrungsträger anstatt Innovationsträger“ („incorporating experience rather than innovations“). However their development, especially from a commercial point of view, has not been quite so simple as the latter slogan might suggest.

Passenger expectations in terms of ticket prices, travel times and travel quality (punctuality, synchronised timetables and passenger comfort etc.) are an important criterion for the successful provision of public transport services. Modern rail vehicles must therefore meet high standards of safety, reliability and availability - as also passenger comfort. A climatic wind tunnel provides the opportunity to create a wide variety of „artificial“ weather conditions to carry out climatic tests on entire rail vehicles.

Between receiving its first order for 42 FLIRT EMUs in September 2002 and spring 2005 Stadler has succeeded in selling 143 of these trains. This demonstrate’s the Swiss company’s ability to accurately evaluate market demand for its train designs (see R 4/04, pp. 58 - 72). Operators not only in Switzerland but also in Germany and Hungary have been unable to resist the inherent appeal and good looks of this fast, high quality and attractively priced product designed for both busy suburban and middle-distance services.

Exactly one year ago the European Union expanded from fifteen to twenty-five member countries. According to EU directives, the new members must allow private rail operators access onto their national networks, though Poland and Hungary requested and received permission to defer full open access until 2007. Until then they have to open up 20 % of their network capacity to companies other than the State-owned operator. Though progress in this area has undeniably been made, how close does the reality approach to the EU ideal? Our investigation of what has been taking place in the freight sector in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary reveals a few surprises.

In recent months Bombardier has been able to celebrate further steps towards breaking down the borders for its TRAXX locomotives, Italy and Austria now having been added to the growing list of countries into which they can now operate. With encouragement being given to the company by a significant order placed by Angel Trains Cargo, we can expect yet more new designs for these „locomotives without frontiers“.

Although Class 189/ES 64 F4s are becoming firm favourites among more and more operators, it is still sometimes quite a hard battle in some quarters to get these versatile machines accepted as truly „European Locomotives“.

Since 12 December 2004 trains have been able to run at up to 230 km/h over most of the Hamburg to Berlin via Wittenberge main line. The rebuilding of this route, one of the most important on the whole German network, was a major civil engineering project, and has resulted in the schedules of services provided by ICT trainsets being slashed by an incredible 35 minutes.