ETR 500
Encyclopedia
ETR 500 is a family of Italian high-speed trains introduced in 1993.
Designed under the aegis of the Ferrovie dello Stato
(FS), it is now operated by Trenitalia
on RFI
tracks.
Although Italy was already a pioneer in rail travel in the 1930s, it was not until the 1960s that the first high speed lines were planned. The opening of the Direttissima line, connecting Florence with Rome, in stages between 1978 and 1991 was the first high speed line in Europe.
In the 1990s FS finally unveiled plans to build a whole new high speed network. As the larger part of the network would be suited for speeds of 300 km/h (186 mph), new, non-tilting trains had to be designed as the tilting equipment used in the ETR 450
, 460
and 480
Pendolino
series was not suited for speeds of over 250 km/h (155 mph).
The new train was to be built by the TREVI (TREno Veloce Italiano, "Italian Fast Train") formed by AnsaldoBreda, FIAT Ferroviaria
, Tecnomasio
and Firema Trasporti.
. It was tested on the Direttissima in the consist with a measuring car and an E 444 locomotive and reached a record speed of 319 km/h (198 mph).
In 1990 the 2 first complete trainsets, called "ETR 500-Y" and nicknamed "Romolo" were delivered. They were used as test units between their delivery and 1995, when the first production sets entered into service.Between 1995 and 1997 they were also used in normal commercial service when there was a shortage of normal ETR.500 trainsets.
The 3 motorcars of the prototype sets are stabled at different locations in Italy and have unfortunately been vandalised and graffitized. The middle cars of the 2 "ETR 500-Y" sets are now part of the two RFI ETR.500 test trains Y1 and Y2.
, they consist of 2 motorcars (numbered E 404 100 to 159), four 1st class cars, a restaurant car, and six 2nd class cars. Although suited for driving 300 km/h (186 mph), they were limited to 250 km/h (155 mph) on the Direttissima as the current drawn from the catenary at 300 km/h (186 mph) would be too high. This was also the reason why a second generation, dual-voltage trains was ordered.
Major routes of this train were Chiusi
-Milan
, Florence
-Naples
, Milan
-Rome
Termini, Milan
-Naples
, Bologna
-Rome
Termini, Milan
-Salerno
, Milan
-Venice
, Venice
-Rome
Termini.
Between 2006 and 2008, the first generation trains have been upgraded with newly built E.404 6xx dual-voltage motorcars, coupled to the existing middle cars. All E.404 0xx motorcars of the older trainsets have been refurbished and transformed into locomotives of the type E.414, and will haul EuroStarCity trains on selected routes. These trains consist of two E.414 locomotives and 10 former Intercity UIC-Z coaches. Although the coaches are "normal" Intercity coaches, they will mostly remain in semi-permanent coupled formation with the two E.414 locomotives.
3 kV
DC
as used on the classic network. This allows the trains to drive at their top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph), as
3 kV is technically limited to 250 km/h (155 mph) operation. As the first generation trains can not operate off 25 kV AC, new trains had to be ordered. As the new trains can run both off 25 kV AC and 3 kV DC, they were designated P for politensione (multi-current).
The new power cars of the trains feature a totally different design than the first generation trainsets, although also designed by design company Pininfarina
. These new trains, delivered between 2000 and 2005, consist in original formation of 2 motorcars, four 1st class cars, a restaurant car, and six 2nd class cars. However, with the addition of a Business class car after the three 1st class cars to all trainsets, expansion to 12 middle cars was finished in 2004.
The ETR 500 P started regular service with their commercial top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph) on the Rome-Naples and Torino-Novara high-speed lines, when those lines were opened for revenue service on 22 December 2005 resp. 1 February 2006.
The second generation trains can be divided in multiple sub-series. They were delivered in three batches:
In addition, there are rebuilt and refurbished versions:
The last speed record is 362 km/h (224.9 mph) (also trainset Y1) between Florence and Bologna.(2009/02/09)(La Stampa newspaper of Turin). This represents the "indoors" world speed record, as the speed was reached in the Monte Bibele tunnel on the new high speed line between Bologna and Florence.
By 2014 Trenitalia will have 6 new ETR-1000 able to reach 360/400 km/h.
Designed under the aegis of the Ferrovie dello Stato
Ferrovie dello Stato
Ferrovie dello Stato is a government-owned holding which manage infrastructure and service on the Italian rail network. The subsidiary Trenitalia is the main rail operator in Italy.-Organization:Ferrovie dello Stato subsidiaries are:...
(FS), it is now operated by Trenitalia
Trenitalia
Trenitalia is the primary train operator in Italy. Trenitalia is owned by Ferrovie dello Stato, itself owned by the Italian Government. It was created in 2000 following the EU directive on the deregulation of rail transport.-Passenger transport:...
on RFI
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana is an Italian company fully owned by Ferrovie dello Stato . RFI is the owner of Italy's railway network, it sets train paths, provides signalling, provides maintenance and other services for the railway network...
tracks.
History
In the 1990s FS finally unveiled plans to build a whole new high speed network. As the larger part of the network would be suited for speeds of 300 km/h (186 mph), new, non-tilting trains had to be designed as the tilting equipment used in the ETR 450
ETR 450
ETR 450 was the first series Italian tilting train .The Pendolino project was started in the 1970s by FIAT Ferroviaria, but also absorbed technology from tilting train experiments from elsewhere, most notably the British Advanced Passenger Trains, FIAT having bought the patents...
, 460
ETR 460
The ETR 460 is a tilting EMU built by FIAT Ferroviaria beginning from 1993, also known as Pendolino.ETR 460 was an improved development of ETR 450, a Pendolino EMU developed in the 1970s, being characterized by improved layout, electrical and electronic systems, and a better comfort. Maximum speed...
and 480
ETR 480
The ETR 480 is a tilting Electric Multiple Unit built by FIAT Ferroviaria since 1993, It is also known as Pendolino. It was developed from the first new-generation Pendolino, the ETR 460...
Pendolino
Pendolino
Pendolino is an Italian family of tilting trains used in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, Finland, Russian Federation, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, Switzerland, China and shortly in Romania and Poland...
series was not suited for speeds of over 250 km/h (155 mph).
The new train was to be built by the TREVI (TREno Veloce Italiano, "Italian Fast Train") formed by AnsaldoBreda, FIAT Ferroviaria
Fiat Ferroviaria
thumb|300px|[[FS Class E626]] locomotive, a mainstay of Italian railways starting from the 1930s.Fiat Ferroviaria was the rail division of FIAT of Italy....
, Tecnomasio
Tecnomasio
Tecnomasio was an Italian scientific and precision instrument company founded in the 1860s. By the beginning of the 20th century the company has begun to produce electrical equipment...
and Firema Trasporti.
The prototypes
In 1988 the first prototype motorcar, called "ETR 500-X" and nicknamed "Remo", rolled out of the factory in Vado LigureVado Ligure
Vado Ligure, in antiquity Vado Sabatia, is a town and comune in the province of Savona, Liguria, in northern Italy.- Economy :Vado has a large industrial and commercial port....
. It was tested on the Direttissima in the consist with a measuring car and an E 444 locomotive and reached a record speed of 319 km/h (198 mph).
In 1990 the 2 first complete trainsets, called "ETR 500-Y" and nicknamed "Romolo" were delivered. They were used as test units between their delivery and 1995, when the first production sets entered into service.Between 1995 and 1997 they were also used in normal commercial service when there was a shortage of normal ETR.500 trainsets.
The 3 motorcars of the prototype sets are stabled at different locations in Italy and have unfortunately been vandalised and graffitized. The middle cars of the 2 "ETR 500-Y" sets are now part of the two RFI ETR.500 test trains Y1 and Y2.
First generation
After the success of the 2 prototypes, FS decided to order 30 mono-current trainsets supporting the 3 kV DC supply of existing lines. Delivered between 1992 and 1996, with interiors styled by design company PininfarinaPininfarina
Pininfarina S.p.A. is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder in Cambiano, Italy.Founded as Società anonima Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in 1930 by automobile designer and builder Battista "Pinin" Farina, Pininfarina has been employed by a wide variety of high-end automobile manufacturers,...
, they consist of 2 motorcars (numbered E 404 100 to 159), four 1st class cars, a restaurant car, and six 2nd class cars. Although suited for driving 300 km/h (186 mph), they were limited to 250 km/h (155 mph) on the Direttissima as the current drawn from the catenary at 300 km/h (186 mph) would be too high. This was also the reason why a second generation, dual-voltage trains was ordered.
Major routes of this train were Chiusi
Chiusi
Chiusi is a town and comune in province of Siena, Tuscany, Italy.-History:It was one of the more powerful among the Etruscan 12‑city confederation...
-Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
-Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
-Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
Termini, Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
-Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
-Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
Termini, Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
-Salerno
Salerno
Salerno is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea....
, Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
-Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
-Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
Termini.
Between 2006 and 2008, the first generation trains have been upgraded with newly built E.404 6xx dual-voltage motorcars, coupled to the existing middle cars. All E.404 0xx motorcars of the older trainsets have been refurbished and transformed into locomotives of the type E.414, and will haul EuroStarCity trains on selected routes. These trains consist of two E.414 locomotives and 10 former Intercity UIC-Z coaches. Although the coaches are "normal" Intercity coaches, they will mostly remain in semi-permanent coupled formation with the two E.414 locomotives.
Second generation
With the new high-speed lines finally in construction, FS chose to electrify the lines at instead of3 kV
Volt
The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
DC
Direct current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
as used on the classic network. This allows the trains to drive at their top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph), as
3 kV is technically limited to 250 km/h (155 mph) operation. As the first generation trains can not operate off 25 kV AC, new trains had to be ordered. As the new trains can run both off 25 kV AC and 3 kV DC, they were designated P for politensione (multi-current).
The new power cars of the trains feature a totally different design than the first generation trainsets, although also designed by design company Pininfarina
Pininfarina
Pininfarina S.p.A. is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder in Cambiano, Italy.Founded as Società anonima Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in 1930 by automobile designer and builder Battista "Pinin" Farina, Pininfarina has been employed by a wide variety of high-end automobile manufacturers,...
. These new trains, delivered between 2000 and 2005, consist in original formation of 2 motorcars, four 1st class cars, a restaurant car, and six 2nd class cars. However, with the addition of a Business class car after the three 1st class cars to all trainsets, expansion to 12 middle cars was finished in 2004.
The ETR 500 P started regular service with their commercial top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph) on the Rome-Naples and Torino-Novara high-speed lines, when those lines were opened for revenue service on 22 December 2005 resp. 1 February 2006.
The second generation trains can be divided in multiple sub-series. They were delivered in three batches:
- ETR 500 P ord. '96 (sets 31-60 with power cars numbered E.404 500-559): trainset built as new.
- ETR 500 P ord. '02 (sets 1-30 with power cars numbered E.404 600-659): power cars built as new for use with cars from the 1st generation (mono-current) trainsets.
- power cars E.404 660-663: an extension of the second batch, to replace four power cars sold to infrastructure authority RFI (see below), delivered in 2007-8.
In addition, there are rebuilt and refurbished versions:
- ETR 500 F: trainsets modified for operation in France (F for Francia = France). This version was tri-current, as it was also enabled for the 1.5 kV DC system used on conventional lines in Southern France. These sets had only 8 middle cars: three 1st class cars, a restaurant car, and four 2nd class cars. Multiple trains, including sets 39, 54, 58 and 60 were converted and used for tests in France from 2001 to 2005 on the LGV NordLGV NordThe LGV Nord is a French 333-kilometre long high speed rail line, opened in 1993, that connects Paris to the Belgian border and the Channel Tunnel via Lille....
line. However, no type approval was granted for the trains in France even after the tests, the trains never entered regular cross-border service. Both the middle and power cars were rebuilt as standard P units in 2006-7. - ETR 500 Y1 (with power cars numbered E.404 649, 652) and Y2 (with power cars numbered E.404 648, 621): test trains for infrastructure authority RFI, with new tractor heads attached to the old middle cars of the original Y500 prototypes. Used for the commissioning of new high-speed lines. Y1 has 8 middle cars, Y2 has 3 at present.
- ETR 500 P 8-car sets for Turin-Milan: When the Turin-Novara high-speed line was opened in 2006, Turin-Milan service started with ETR 500 P units reduced to 8 middle cars, to fit the length of the station platforms at Malpensa Airport. These trains included set 60 (part of a former ETR 500 F set) in special 2006 Winter Olympics2006 Winter OlympicsThe 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
livery. - ETR 500 "AV": in 2005, Trenitalia introduced a new service concept for its high-speed trainsets, under the new brand name AV (for Alta Velocità = High Speed) in addition to Eurostar Italia. In the course of this, all ETR 500 trainsets received new interior and a new livery, with the "AV" logo prominently displayed on the power cars.
- ETR 500 "Frecciarossa": in 2008, Trenitalia introduced new brand names for its Eurostar Italia Alta Velocità high-speed trains that categorise them according to top speed. The new brand name for trains with top speeds in the 300–350 km/h range is Frecciarossa (meaning Red Arrow). The ETR 500 are currently the only trains qualifying as Frecciarossa. The trains receive a new livery with a red stripe and the brand name on the power cars.
Speed records
- An ETR 500 F test train composed of 8-car trainset 54 with motor cars E.404 500 and 526 set a record speed of 335 km/h (208.2 mph) between Lille and Marne-la Vallée in France on 2 June 2005.
- ETR 500 P set 31, shortened to 8 middle cars, achieved 348.5 km/h on the Rome-Naples line on 7 September 2005.
- ETR 500 P set 31 achieved 350.8 km/h (218 mph) (on 5 October 2005) and then ETR 500 Y2 achieved 352.0 km/h on 25 May 2006 on the Turin-Novara line.
- ETR 500 Y2, during commissioning tests of the upgraded Ankara-Eskişehir line, part of the Turkish high-speed railway networkHigh-speed rail in TurkeyThe Turkish State Railways started building high-speed rail lines in 2003. The first section of the line, between Ankara and Eskişehir, was inaugurated on March 13, 2009...
, achieved a national rail speed record for Turkey at 303 km/h. - ETR 500 Y1 achieved 355 km/h on the Milan-Bologna line on 1 March 2008 at 17:23.
The last speed record is 362 km/h (224.9 mph) (also trainset Y1) between Florence and Bologna.(2009/02/09)(La Stampa newspaper of Turin). This represents the "indoors" world speed record, as the speed was reached in the Monte Bibele tunnel on the new high speed line between Bologna and Florence.
By 2014 Trenitalia will have 6 new ETR-1000 able to reach 360/400 km/h.
See also
- Treno Alta VelocitàTreno Alta VelocitàTreno Alta Velocità SpA is special purpose entity owned by RFI for the planning and construction of a high-speed network in Italy.-Purpose:...
- ElettroTrenoElettroTrenoETR is a series of Italian high-speed trains.-Tilting EMU trains:*ETR 401*ETR 450*ETR 460*ETR 470*ETR 480*ETR 600 These models are often referred as Pendolino....
- TrenitaliaTrenitaliaTrenitalia is the primary train operator in Italy. Trenitalia is owned by Ferrovie dello Stato, itself owned by the Italian Government. It was created in 2000 following the EU directive on the deregulation of rail transport.-Passenger transport:...
- Rete Ferroviaria ItalianaRete Ferroviaria ItalianaRete Ferroviaria Italiana is an Italian company fully owned by Ferrovie dello Stato . RFI is the owner of Italy's railway network, it sets train paths, provides signalling, provides maintenance and other services for the railway network...
- PendolinoPendolinoPendolino is an Italian family of tilting trains used in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, Finland, Russian Federation, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, Switzerland, China and shortly in Romania and Poland...
- New PendolinoNew PendolinoThe New Pendolino is a class of high-speed tilting trains built by Alstom Ferroviaria for Trenitalia and the swiss Railway SBB CFF FFS, known as the ETR 600 and ETR 610, respectively...
- Eurostar ItaliaEurostar ItaliaEurostar Italia is a network of Italian high-speed inter-city trains, operated by Trenitalia . Trenitalia states that there are 130 train journeys per day....
- High-speed rail in TurkeyHigh-speed rail in TurkeyThe Turkish State Railways started building high-speed rail lines in 2003. The first section of the line, between Ankara and Eskişehir, was inaugurated on March 13, 2009...