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Volume 13 No. 1/13€ 10.00

A Visit To NewagGranit LocomotivesInnoTrans Megareport IIIStadler’s 1,520mm-Gauge DesignsEversholt’s Proposal For ECML Trains

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Helsinki FLIRT EMUs - The First Venture

Stadler, whose rail vehicles are popu-lar not only in Switzerland, Europe andseveral other countries, notably Algeriaand the USA, is building trains mainlyfor 1,435 mm gauge networks and linesof narrower gauges. However the Hel-sinki FLIRT EMU project required trainsof 1,524 mm gauge, the order for thesebeing placed in October 2006. This pro-vided an opportune „foundation stone“for the manufacturer to consider buildingtrains for the 1,520 mm gauge market ingeneral, and to participate more widelyin tenders for trains of this gauge.

The Helsinki FLIRTS were desig-nated Class Sm5. Initially 32 four-cartrains were ordered, and an option for

Stadler’s 1,520 mm-Gauge ActivitiesOn 24 January 2013 in Tallinn, Stadler organised a conference presenting the compa-ny’s successes and future plans relating to trains for the 1,520 mm gauge networksin Europe, the Baltic and CIS states, and Russia.

a further nine was confirmed in De-cember 2011. The first train arrived inFinland in November 2008, enteringpassenger service a year later, andthe aim is to have 41 FLIRTs in serviceby 2014, when the Ring Rail Line isinaugurated, connecting Helsinki-Van-taa Airport with the city centre. By 31 December 2012 21 FLIRTs had beendelivered, and these had already clockedup over 4 million km in service. Ten moretrains are scheduled for delivery in 2013,and ten in 2014. The 2014 deliverieswill comprise the last of the initial batchof 32 and the nine forming the option.When all are delivered, they would, ifall coupled end to end, form a trainset3,075 m long!

The FLIRTs are shouldering an evergreater share of the intensive suburban

Here we see the considerable difference in appearance between a 2,900 mm wide FLIRT built for European 1,435 mm gauge track, a 3,200 mm wide Finnish 1,524 mm gauge FLIRT and a 3,500 mm wide,1,520 mm gauge Estonian FLIRT.

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services operating out of Helsinki, aswe can see from the following anticipateddata for future years:- in 2012 40 % km services operatedby FLIRTs and 60 % of all departures,

- in 2013 64 % km services operatedby FLIRTs and75 % of all departures,

- in 2014 80 % km services operatedby FLIRTs and 87 % of all departures,

- in 2015 87 % km services operatedby FLIRTs and 90 % of all departures.Starting at the end of 2013, it is

envisaged to have the class Sm5soperating all weekend services. TheHelsinki suburban rail network is 81 kmlong, on weekdays 753 services areoperated. There are four route groups:- Helsinki to Karjaa, with short work-ings to Kirkkonummi and Kauklahti,

- Helsinki to Vantaankoski, - Helsinki to Riihimäki, with short work-ings to Tikkurila and Kerava,

- Helsinki to Lahti.Between Helsinki and the first junc-

tion at Pasila, all trains share the sameroute, with departures from Helsinki atpeak periods every four to six minutes!Every day around 176,000 passengersuse the suburban services, average triplength is 9.6 km, and average journey

This was the very first time that a Stadler-built train visited Russia. Oneof the EPG FLIRTs, becoming a new face of Belarus railways, was sent tothe EXPO 1520 trade fair, which took place at the Shcherbinka test circuitbetween 7 and 10 September 2011. In the left background is ChS4T-373.

time 12.4 minutes. The trains averagebetween 40 and 60 km/h.

Into Belarus...

The Sm5s served as a springboardfor Stadler into genuine 1,520 mm gaugeterritory - in other words, the formerSoviet countries. In March 2010 BChordered ten four-car FLIRTs, six ClassEPG EMUs for suburban services andfour Class EPR EMUs for inter-regionalservices (see R 4/11, pp. 60 - 67). Toenable speedy deliveries, the BelarusFLIRTs were almost identical to theFinnish Class Sm5s, and in February2011 EPG-001 arrived in Belarus. Thefirst three trains were able to enter testcommercial service in July 2011. EPR-001 arrived in Belarus in September2011 and in November that year enteredcommercial service. EPR-004 was putinto commercial service in March 2012.

The second chapter in Stadler’sinvolvement in the Belarus market waswritten on 4 October 2012, when atFanipol, in the southwest suburbs ofMinsk, representatives from Stadler,Belkommunmash and the Minsk andregional municipalities laid the founda-

tion stone for a new factory for a jointventure which was originally intended tobe known as Elektricheski Transport.However it will be called StadlerMinsk, since the joint venture was

created by Stadler (with a 60 % share)and a „Regional committee of MinskMunicipality“. Around 150 employeeswill be employed initially, and comple-tion is scheduled for late 2013.

New-generation passenger trains are transforming the Estonian rail-way scene. This photo taken on 24 January 2013 at Pääsküla depot,to the southwest of Tallinn, shows FLIRT 1401 EMU together withtwo ageing RVR-built EMUs, ER2-2204 and ER2T-2208, the latterforming regional service 593 from Tallinn to Paldiski.

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In the GTW+ power module diesels will bemounted on the centreline of the vehicles. Thisnecessitates the provision of a side corridorto enable passengers to move from one partof the train to another, and for natural illumi-nation of this a window will be provided, asshown in the smaller image. These are the first Stadler power moduleswith this particular configuration.

The establishment is to be equippedfor the production of EMUs and DRAMsfor suburban and inter-regional services,and also for the possible constructionof batches of trams and metro trains.With Belkommunmash being very activein trolleybus construction, it is evenenvisaged that these vehicles mightbe built there using some Swiss techno-logies. The factory is a significant move.The cost of around 6 million EUR perFLIRT EMU is a high one for an evolvingpost-Soviet economy, in spite of theundeniable high quality of the end pro-duct. With BCh keen to modernise itsfleet of passenger trains, and offer at-tractive services, a workable form ofcollaboration had to be devised.

On 6 December 2012 BCh placeda second order with Stadler, for sixClass EPR EMUs. These new inter-re-gional trains will have five-cars on ac-count of increasing passenger patrona-ge in FLIRTs. They will be 92,790 mmin length over couplings, fitted with303 seats, and have a total capacity of672 passengers, whereas the existingfour-car EPR EMUs have 216 seats anda total capacity of 564 passengers. De-signed for operation off 25 kV 50 Hz,they will have a top service speed of160 km/h, and have a continuous powerrating of 2,000 kW, as is the case withthe earlier batch, but their accelerationrate will be slightly less dynamic - 1.1 m/s2 instead of 1.2 m/s2. Like theearlier trains, they will have 3,200 mmwide bodyshells, but for future projectsit is envisaged to create a FLIRT of3,500 mm wide to meet the ampleBelarus loading gauge. Future orderscould well be quite substantial - thereis talk of acquiring around 80 moretrains.

The upper images compare the sizeof a KISS EMU built for the Europeanloading gauge with a similar doubledeck EMU built to the Russian load-ing gauge.

The right-hand image is of Stadler’sAeroexpress EMU. Compared withthe initial KISSes, the front end hasbeen radically restyled, and is moreaerodynamic. By early February2013 133 KISS EMUs had beensold, or were under construction oron order for clients in four count-ries - Switzerland, Germany, Austria,and Luxembourg. Aeroexpress’strains will increase the number ofKISSes built by 24, and add Russiato the list of countries in whichthese trains will operate.

Deliveries of this second batchof BCh FLIRTs, numbered EPR-005 to010, are planned to run between 2013and 2014. The bodyshells will come fromStadler’s Berlin-Reinickendorf works(see R 1/11, p. 43), and the final as-sembly will be realised at Siedlce, about100 km from the Belarus border. Thefirst four EPR EMUs will be delivered in2013, the last two in 2014. All trains areto be finally accepted in March andApril 2014, in readiness for the WorldHockey Championship in Belarus.

... On To Estonia...

From Belarus we move north, wherein August 2010 Elektriraudtee ordereda batch of 12 three-car and six four-carFLIRT EMUs and six two-car, eight three-car and six four-car FLIRT DMUs - 38trains in all. We described these trainsin detail in R 6/12, pp. 24 - 26. By mid-February 2013 EMUs 1401 to 1403and DMUs 2404 and 2405 had beendelivered. The EMUs are scheduled tobe put into passenger service in June2013, the DMUs in August 2013.

Since 2006, out of a total 803FLIRTs sold by Stadler until 7 February2013 (thence including the most recentWestfalenBahn order, see p. 44), 95have gone, or are destined for countrieswith rail networks of 1,520 or 1,524 mmgauge. Finland will have 41 EMUs,Belarus 16 EMUs, and Estonia a mixof 20 DMUs and 18 EMUs.

... And Into Russia!

Stadler notched up its very firstsuccess in Russia at the end of 2008,when RZD invited tenders for a newgeneration of DMUs. Metrovagonmashof Mytishchi (part of Transmashholding)won the contract in October 2010

with a train design based on GTWs.This implied the use of diesel electricpower modules, built by Stadler (seeR 5/12, p. 52). Each DMU will incor-porate two power modules, designatedGTW+, and five non-powered cars, twoof which will be end cars. The powermodules will have steel bodyshells. Inconsequence, in May 2011 Metrovagon-mash awarded Stadler a contract for100 GTW+ modules (two prototypesand 98 batch modules). The two pro-totypes are currently at the final as-sembly stage at Bussnang, and will bedelivered to Mytishchi in April 2013.

Each module is designed for a max.speed of 160 km/h, and is 7,300 mmlong over couplings, 3,480 mm wideand stands 5,300 mm high above rail top. It has two bogies, each with a wheelbase of 2,100 mm, and whe-els of 870 mm diameter when new(800 mm when worn). The prime moveris a 1,119 kW Cummins QSK38 StageIIIA engine, Cummins being chosen notonly for the specifications of the engine,but also because the manufacturer

has a wide sales and maintenancenetwork in Russia. The GTW+ modulesare designed to withstand a compres-sive force of 2,000 kN, a tensile forceof 1,000 kN, and will have a maximumaxle-load of 20.5 t.

Stadler continues the developmentof designs for further trains for the1,520 mm gauge. Among these aredouble deck multiple units. On 12 Fe-bruary 2013 Aeroexpress officiallyannounced the results of its invitationto tender for a batch of double deckEMUs. The final stages of the biddingwhittled the number down to just threecompetitors, Stadler (Switzerland),Alstom (France), and ŠKODA (CzechRepublic). Stadler’s bid was chosen,and a framework contract worth around350 million EUR will be signed for 172cars. Of these, 112 are to be built asthe first part of the contract, to form 16four-car and eight six-car EMUs.

These 24 trains are to operateAeroexpress shuttle services linkingMoskva with the capital’s three majorairports, Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo

ABB Switzerland Ltd, Traction ConvertersTel. +41 58 585 00 00E-mail: traction.converters@ch.abb.com

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Two views of the Aeroexpress double-deck EMU interiors - economy(upper) and business (lower). BORCAD’s REGIO and REGIO+ seats arevisible in this accommodation.

and Vnukovo. The option clause in thecontract envisages a further 13 trains(60 cars). Aeroexpress services aregrowing rapidly in popularity, and theonly way to cater for the demand - andto cope with the growing constraintson infrastructure capacity - is to opt forthe use of double deck stock. It is rec-koned that the new EMUs will createan increase in Aeroexpress’s fleet’scarrying capacity by between 30 and40 %. Following the arrival of the newtrains, Aeroexpress plans to move itsolder EMUs to one of its other opera-tions, but has not yet decided on which.

This is Stadler’s second contract inRussia, following the GTW+ powermodules for the RZD DMUs. It is worthmentioning that the new AeroexpressEMUs will be the second type ofnew double deck stock being develo-ped for Russia. Double-deck cars andEMUs are already being developed forRZD by Alstom and TMH. Moreover,with Aeroexpress, this is a second ope-rator to be exploiting double-deck trainsin Russia (although one of the operator’sshareholder is RZD).

The Aeroexpress double-deckEMUs will have a top service speed of160 km/h, and will have a power ratingof 6 MW. Their design will be based onthat of the KISS, and they will incor-porate asynchronous traction equip-ment, with tried-and-tested ABB traction

Stadler is also expanding its range of 1,435 mm gauge trains. One project isthe IC FLIRT. This is a third generation of the FLIRT EMU, which was originallydeveloped for local and suburban services with a maximum speed of 160 km/h.A second generation was the IR/IC FLIRT with a maximum speed of between160 and 200 km/h (characterised by NSB FLIRT EMUs). The IC FLIRT will be a Class 2 vehicle, with a maximum service speed of 249 km/h.

This is the first time that Stadler will have created a train designed for carryingpassengers at speeds in excess of 200 km/h. It was resolved not to take one stepfurther, into the 250 to 350 km/h speed range (Class 1 vehicles), since this is a veryspecialised category, involving relatively small markets and very sophisticatedtechnologies. Moreover, only a limited number of countries have rail networksdesigned for trains capable of these speeds.

The IC FLIRT will emerge with a redesigned front end. It will also feature com-fortable passenger accommodation, suitable for longer journeys. The technicalenhancements will include a dining car and various optimisations to carry handi-capped passengers. 3 kV DC, 15 and 25 kV AC versions, and multi-voltage versionswill be available. Trains of up to ten cars in length are envisaged, with a maximumpower rating of 6 MW. The IC FLIRT is very close to becoming a reality - it will beoffered on the market from 2013.

Stadler has also recently entered the market for metro trains, with a contractawarded by Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (see R 4/12, p. 26). This specifies twopre-production Type IK trains (shown in the photomontage), and an option clausefor a batch of 34.

converters and traction motors suppliedby TSA. Their design will be tailored tomeet the demands of Russian climaticextremes, for operation in a temperaturerange from -50 to +40 0C. Experiencefrom the FLIRTs built for the severewinter climates of Finland, Norway,Estonia and Belarus will be incorpo-rated in the design.

The bodyshells will be made oflightweight aluminum, but will be signi-ficantly larger than those of Europeandouble-deck trains: the 1,435 mmgauge KISSes are 2,800 mm wideand 4,500 mm high, the Aeroexpresstrains will be 3,400 mm wide and stand5,240 mm above rail top. Two accom-modation classes will be offered, Bu-siness and Economy, with comfortable,bright interior furnishings. Deliveriesare to run from early 2015 until late2016. Construction will take place partlyin Switzerland and partly at Stadler’snew factory in Minsk.

Jaromír Perničkausing Stadler sources

and information of Yrjö Judström/Junakalusto

Photos by author, diagrams by Stadler

The upper diagram shows the external and internal dimensions of a cross-section of the Russian version of the KISS EMU.

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Powerful DMU Traction Converter For RussiaStadler Rail’s GTW+ modules for the Russian fleetof new DMUs require a new type of diesel-electricpropulsion converters. This compact converter,BORDLINE® CC1500 DE, extends the power rangeof the classical ABB BORDLINE® CC750 DE of whichmore than 450 units are in operation in manyEuropean countries and in the USA.

Global References

Stadler Rail and ABB cooperate forGTW type DMUs since 2003. Morethan 220 of such trains are in reliableoperation in Austria, Germany, Italy, theNetherlands and the United States. Thesame converter platform has also beenused for diesel-electric shunting loco-motives in Switzerland and Spain andsome rack rail DMUs in Greece.

This platform has now been expandedto two new converter types with higherpower and still higher compactness:one type is used for diesel-electric FLIRTsin Estonia (see R 5/12, p. 27), drivingeach two traction motors instead of one.The other type, BORDLINE® CC1500DE, is discussed here, driving up tofour traction motors and providing higheron-board power for the longer Russiantrains.

Traction System Overview

The GTW+ modules contain a dieselengine which drives an asynchronousgenerator, supplying 500 to 1,200 Vinput voltage to the BORDLINE®

CC1500 DE Compact Converters. Thelatter contains an active rectifier, twoindependent motor inverters, a high-power auxiliary converter, and twobraking choppers connected to thebraking resistors. Each motor invertercan drive one or two motors. The auxi-liary converters feed the 3-phase 50 Hz400 V train power supply line througha sine filter and an auxiliary transformer.

ABB Compact ConverterBORDLINE® CC1500 DE

Apart for their reliability, ABB tractionconverters are known for their compact-ness and high integration, their modulardesign, and easy maintenance. They areefficiently water-cooled, resulting in longlifetime of all the components and smallconverter size. The coolant (regular tapwater with glycol) dissipates energythrough an external heat exchanger. Thecabinet of the BORDLINE® CC1500 DEis a rugged, traction-proven IP54 hous-ing. The control module is mounted ona swing frame in front of the powermodules, providing excellent acces-sibility of all key components. Theconverter complies with the RussianGOST standards.

Integrated AuxiliaryConverter/Head-End Power

The auxiliary converter generates a current limited three-phase output volt-age directly from the DC-link voltage.

For the train power supply line, eachauxiliary converter provides 300 kVA„head-end power“. A sine filter evens thePWM modulated output voltage, so thata sine wave voltage waveform is avai-lable which is transformed to 400 V output. The auxiliary converters of twoBORDLINE® CC1500 DE converterscan be synchronized without the needof any control signal exchange betweenthe BORDLINE® CC1500 DE units.

Converter Control System

Reliability, speed, and precision re-quire a powerful control unit. The ABBhigh-end control platform AC 800PECis used in all ABB traction converters,as well as in a wide range of industrialapplications. This unit covers all controland protection functions, sensor inputs,diagnostics and it provides a simpleinterface to the vehicle control.

In cooperation with the train controlmanagement system, standard ABBsoftware modules control for examplethe slip-slide-functionality, or enhancedelectrical braking mode. Modular visualprogramming ensures quick, reliablecoding and easy adaptation of the con-trol software. This leads to fast and fle-xible engineering for tailor-made solu-tions in customer projects.

Harald Hepp

Photo and drawing: ABB

Generator Voltage 3 x 470 to 1,200 V/23 - 60 Hz

Propulsion Output 3 x 0 to 1,250 V AC, 2 x 800 kW at wheel

Braking Chopper 2 x 700 kW

Head-End Power Supply 3 x 400 V/50 Hz, 300 kVA

Vehicle Control Interface Can Open

Dimensions (W x L x H) 1,394 x 900 x 2,055 mm

Weight 1,200 kg

Principal Technical Data Of BORDLINE® CC1500 DE_D_M_1400 Converter:

BORDLINE® CC1500 DE Compact Converter.

Block diagram of a BORDLINE® CC1500 DE Compact Converter.