NSB Class 72
Encyclopedia
NSB Class 72 is a class of 36 electric multiple unit
s built by AnsaldoBreda for the Norwegian State Railways. Delivered between 2002 and 2005, the four-car units operate on the Oslo Commuter Rail
and the Jæren Commuter Rail
. The trains have a capacity of 310 passengers and the 2250 kW motors allow a maximum speed of 160 kilometres per hour (99.4 mph). The trains were ordered in 1997, with original delivery dates in 2001 and 2002. NSB also had an option to buy 40 additional units. The first units were not delivered until 2002, and by 2004, still half the trains were not in use. Faults included rust, too heavy train weight, and signaling problems.
, Di 6
, the Class 71, Class 73
and Class 93. In August, NSB stated that there were three bidders for the local train class, which would consist of a firm order for 36 units with an option for another 20 units. The bidders were Ansaldo, GEC Alstom
and Adtranz
, where Adtranz had the only bid which would involve construction in Norway.
On 26 September 1997, NSB announced that they would order 36 new trains from Ansaldo, with an option for an additional 40 units. Each train would cost 50 million Norwegian krone
(NOK), and NSB had 28 months to use their option. NSB's CEO, Osmund Ueland
, stated that Ansaldo had been chosen because they had the best technical offer and had by far the lowest price. The new trains would have 35% lower maintenance costs and use 33% less electricity than the Class 69. The new trains would also have a higher maximum speed, have wider doors and make less noise. The electronics would be delivered by Ansaldo, the superstructure by Breda
and the bogie
s by Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works
(SLM). The estimated date of delivery for the trains was from 1 July 2000 to 1 July 2001. The exterior and interior design was made by Pininfarina
, with assistance from NSB's own designers. The latter were used to tailor the design to the Norwegian public's preferences, which among other things involved use of wood in the interior. At the time, Ansaldo also had an order for the Oslo Tramway's SL95
.
In 1999, NSB announced that they would be rebranding their services, and that commuter trains would be branded at NSB Puls. They would lose their traditional red color and instead be colored green and silver, with the Class 72 being the first trains to receive the new design. In February 2001, the first train arrived to Norway for testing. The delay was caused by errors in the drawings and the bankruptcy of a supplier. In April it was announced that the trains were too heavy to allow standing passengers, since the trains could then exceed the permitted axle weight. To reduce the weight, the trains needed to have some steel parts replaced with aluminum. NSB stated that the situation was problematic both because they had calculated the need for standing places to handle rush-hour traffic, and because it was impossible for them to control if more people than there were seats for would board a train. NSB stated that part of the problem was that they could not order shelf ware, in part because the Norwegian loading gauge
is wider than in Continental Europe
. By September, a solution had been found whereby the weight had been reduced sufficiently that 350 standing passengers could be taken on each train. The trains were delivered with train radio system Scanet
, but the technology was so out of date there was only a five-year warranty. At the time, it was uncertain when Global System for Mobile Communications – Railway
(GSM-R) would be built for the Norwegian rail network
, and NSB feared there could arise a situation were the trains could not be used, if the construction was not accelerated.
The first scheduled service with a Class 72 train occurred on 8 August 2002 on the Jæren Commuter Rail. NSB stated that they had never previously spent so much time testing equipment before putting it into service, and that the Jæren had been chosen for the introduction because the single-line system was easier to operate than the services around Oslo. The company also stated that they hoped all the trains would be in service by the end of 2003. By January 2003, half the trains had been delivered, and were gradually being put into service on the Oslo Commuter Rail. However, on the Gardermoen Line the electronics from the train were interfering with the signaling systems, so the lights would switch from green to red before the train passed, instead of afterwards. This made it impossible for the NSB to put the train into service on Norway's only high-speed line. Another problem was that the trains would not close the doors if they were at a station without level tracks, although this was quickly solved. In 2003, NSB decided to abandon the Puls concept, and revert to the former single-profile strategy.
By February 2003, only five of the trains were in operation. Four were being used on the Jæren Commuter Rail, while one was being used on the line between Moss
and Spikkestad
. A few were still in Italy, a few at the docks in Drammen, while most of the trains were stored at Sundland in Drammen where AnsaldoBreda had 40 Italian engineers working 60-hour shifts to make the trains work. At the time they were finishing one train per month. By June, all seven trains had been taken into use in Jæren, and the first four trains could be put into service on the route from Kongsberg
via the Gardermoen Line to Eidsvoll
. In January 2004, rust was found on the axles of the trains. NSB would not accept to take delivery of the last 18 units before this problem had been fixed, and stated that no more money would be paid to the manufacturer until all 36 trains were delivered and without defects. By 2004, Ansaldo and Breda had merged to AnsaldoBreda, while SLM had been bought by Bombardier Transportation
. The latter would not the deliver the axles to AnsaldoBreda because of a disagreement between Bombardier and SLM's previous owner, Sultzer, regarding who was to pay for the axles. This caused Bombardier to cease all work with the delivery from mid-2003. In October 2004, the trains were put into service on the route between Moss and Spikkestad.
s, weigh 157 tonnes (154.5 LT) and run on standard gauge
track. The electric power is gathered by a pantograph
from a overhead wire, and gives a power output of 2550 kW. The trains have a maximum speed of 160 kilometres per hour (99.4 mph). There are eight doors per side, and a passenger capacity of 310 seated passengers. Each train has one handicap seating place and one toilet.
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
s built by AnsaldoBreda for the Norwegian State Railways. Delivered between 2002 and 2005, the four-car units operate on the Oslo Commuter Rail
Oslo Commuter Rail
Oslo Commuter Rail is a commuter rail centered in Oslo, Norway, connecting the capital to six counties in Eastern Norway. The system is operated by the Norwegian State Railways and its subsidiary NSB Gjøvikbanen, using Class 69 and Class 72 electric multiple units . The network spans eight routes...
and the Jæren Commuter Rail
Jæren Commuter Rail
The Jæren Commuter Rail is a commuter train service operated along the western-most part of the Sørland Line in Jæren, Norway. It is operated by the Norwegian State Railways with nine Class 72 electric multiple units. The service acts as a commuter rail connecting Stavanger to its suburbs,...
. The trains have a capacity of 310 passengers and the 2250 kW motors allow a maximum speed of 160 kilometres per hour (99.4 mph). The trains were ordered in 1997, with original delivery dates in 2001 and 2002. NSB also had an option to buy 40 additional units. The first units were not delivered until 2002, and by 2004, still half the trains were not in use. Faults included rust, too heavy train weight, and signaling problems.
History
By the mid-1990s, NSB was in need of new electric multiple units to supplement and replace the company's aging fleet of Class 69 units. At the time, NSB had 60 Class 69 units operating in the Oslo area, of which at any time four to eight were out of service. In 1997, NSB stated that they intended to order 36 new units, of which 18 would replace aging units and 18 would be used to increase services. This was seen as the first step in an order of 100 new EMUs that would be needed in the coming 20 years. The order was part of a holistic ordering program through which NSB in the late 1990s ordered the El 18NSB El 18
NSB El 18 is a class of 22 electric locomotives built by Adtranz and Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works for the Norwegian State Railways . The class is a modification of the Swiss Federal Railways Re 460 locomotive and built at Adtranz Strømmen in 1996 and 1997...
, Di 6
NSB Di 6
NSB Di 6 is a class of twelve diesel-electric locomotives built by Siemens for the Norwegian State Railways from 1995 to 1996. Twelve engines were built at the MaK plant in Kiel whilst it was part of Siemens Schienenfahrzeugtechnik, and numbered Di 6-661 to 6-672.-Construction:During the late...
, the Class 71, Class 73
NSB Class 73
NSB Class 73 is a class of 22 electric multiple units built by Adtranz for the Norwegian State Railways. The four-car trains were modifications of Class 71, which was again based on the Swedish X2. The A-series consists of 16 intercity trains; they were delivered in 1999 and 2000 and are used on...
and Class 93. In August, NSB stated that there were three bidders for the local train class, which would consist of a firm order for 36 units with an option for another 20 units. The bidders were Ansaldo, GEC Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
and Adtranz
Adtranz
ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation , commonly known under its brand Adtranz, was a multi-national rail transport equipment manufacturer with facilities concentrated in Europe and the USA....
, where Adtranz had the only bid which would involve construction in Norway.
On 26 September 1997, NSB announced that they would order 36 new trains from Ansaldo, with an option for an additional 40 units. Each train would cost 50 million Norwegian krone
Norwegian krone
The krone is the currency of Norway and its dependent territories. The plural form is kroner . It is subdivided into 100 øre. The ISO 4217 code is NOK, although the common local abbreviation is kr. The name translates into English as "crown"...
(NOK), and NSB had 28 months to use their option. NSB's CEO, Osmund Ueland
Osmund Ueland
Osmund Ueland is a Norwegian civil servant and former CEO of Norges Statsbaner .An engineer by education, he worked for Aker from 1975 to 1990. From 1990 to 1994 he headed the Lillehammer Olympic Organising Committee . In 1994 he was hired as CEO for NSB Gardermobanen; the next year he was...
, stated that Ansaldo had been chosen because they had the best technical offer and had by far the lowest price. The new trains would have 35% lower maintenance costs and use 33% less electricity than the Class 69. The new trains would also have a higher maximum speed, have wider doors and make less noise. The electronics would be delivered by Ansaldo, the superstructure by Breda
Breda
Breda is a municipality and a city in the southern part of the Netherlands. The name Breda derived from brede Aa and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. As a fortified city, the city was of strategic military and political significance...
and the bogie
Bogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
s by Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works
Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works
Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works were a railway equipment manufacturer based in Winterthur in Switzerland...
(SLM). The estimated date of delivery for the trains was from 1 July 2000 to 1 July 2001. The exterior and interior design was made by 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,...
, with assistance from NSB's own designers. The latter were used to tailor the design to the Norwegian public's preferences, which among other things involved use of wood in the interior. At the time, Ansaldo also had an order for the Oslo Tramway's SL95
SL95
SL95 is a series of 32 low-floor, articulated trams operated on the Oslo Tramway. The series is built by Ansaldo/Firema of Italy and delivered between 1999 and 2004. Capacity for the eight-axle, three-section vehicles is 212 passengers, of which 88 can be seated. The name derives from being ordered...
.
In 1999, NSB announced that they would be rebranding their services, and that commuter trains would be branded at NSB Puls. They would lose their traditional red color and instead be colored green and silver, with the Class 72 being the first trains to receive the new design. In February 2001, the first train arrived to Norway for testing. The delay was caused by errors in the drawings and the bankruptcy of a supplier. In April it was announced that the trains were too heavy to allow standing passengers, since the trains could then exceed the permitted axle weight. To reduce the weight, the trains needed to have some steel parts replaced with aluminum. NSB stated that the situation was problematic both because they had calculated the need for standing places to handle rush-hour traffic, and because it was impossible for them to control if more people than there were seats for would board a train. NSB stated that part of the problem was that they could not order shelf ware, in part because the Norwegian loading gauge
Loading gauge
A loading gauge defines the maximum height and width for railway vehicles and their loads to ensure safe passage through bridges, tunnels and other structures...
is wider than in Continental Europe
Continental Europe
Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....
. By September, a solution had been found whereby the weight had been reduced sufficiently that 350 standing passengers could be taken on each train. The trains were delivered with train radio system Scanet
Scanet
Scanet is a defunct, analog train radio system used by the Norwegian State Railways and later the Norwegian National Rail Administration. The system was developed by Ascom Radiocom and was installed on the primary Norwegian railways between 1993 and 1996...
, but the technology was so out of date there was only a five-year warranty. At the time, it was uncertain when Global System for Mobile Communications – Railway
GSM-R
GSM-R, Global System for Mobile Communications - Railway or GSM-Railway is an international wireless communications standard for railway communication and applications. A sub-system of European Rail Traffic Management System , it is used for communication between train and railway regulation...
(GSM-R) would be built for the Norwegian rail network
Rail transport in Norway
The Norwegian railway system comprises 4,087 km of track of which 2,622 km is electrified and 242 km double track. There are 696 tunnels and 2760 bridges....
, and NSB feared there could arise a situation were the trains could not be used, if the construction was not accelerated.
The first scheduled service with a Class 72 train occurred on 8 August 2002 on the Jæren Commuter Rail. NSB stated that they had never previously spent so much time testing equipment before putting it into service, and that the Jæren had been chosen for the introduction because the single-line system was easier to operate than the services around Oslo. The company also stated that they hoped all the trains would be in service by the end of 2003. By January 2003, half the trains had been delivered, and were gradually being put into service on the Oslo Commuter Rail. However, on the Gardermoen Line the electronics from the train were interfering with the signaling systems, so the lights would switch from green to red before the train passed, instead of afterwards. This made it impossible for the NSB to put the train into service on Norway's only high-speed line. Another problem was that the trains would not close the doors if they were at a station without level tracks, although this was quickly solved. In 2003, NSB decided to abandon the Puls concept, and revert to the former single-profile strategy.
By February 2003, only five of the trains were in operation. Four were being used on the Jæren Commuter Rail, while one was being used on the line between Moss
Moss, Norway
is a coastal city and a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Moss. The city of Moss was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
and Spikkestad
Spikkestad
Spikkestad is a population center in the Røyken municipality in Norway. It is located in the northern part of the Hurum Peninsula, closer to the Drammen Fjord than the Oslo Fjord....
. A few were still in Italy, a few at the docks in Drammen, while most of the trains were stored at Sundland in Drammen where AnsaldoBreda had 40 Italian engineers working 60-hour shifts to make the trains work. At the time they were finishing one train per month. By June, all seven trains had been taken into use in Jæren, and the first four trains could be put into service on the route from Kongsberg
Kongsberg
is a town and municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is located at the southern end of the traditional region of Numedal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kongsberg....
via the Gardermoen Line to Eidsvoll
Eidsvoll
is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the Romerike traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Sundet.-Name:...
. In January 2004, rust was found on the axles of the trains. NSB would not accept to take delivery of the last 18 units before this problem had been fixed, and stated that no more money would be paid to the manufacturer until all 36 trains were delivered and without defects. By 2004, Ansaldo and Breda had merged to AnsaldoBreda, while SLM had been bought by Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
. The latter would not the deliver the axles to AnsaldoBreda because of a disagreement between Bombardier and SLM's previous owner, Sultzer, regarding who was to pay for the axles. This caused Bombardier to cease all work with the delivery from mid-2003. In October 2004, the trains were put into service on the route between Moss and Spikkestad.
Specifications
Class 72 is a four-car electric multiple unit built by AnsaldoBreda. The trains are 85.57 metres (280.7 ft) long, 3.1 metres (10.2 ft) wide and 4.25 metres (13.9 ft) tall. The trains have Jacobs bogieJacobs bogie
Jacobs bogies are a type of rail vehicle bogie commonly found on articulated railcars and tramway vehicles....
s, weigh 157 tonnes (154.5 LT) and run on standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
track. The electric power is gathered by a pantograph
Pantograph (rail)
A pantograph for rail lines is a hinged electric-rod device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. The pantograph typically connects to a one-wire line, with the track acting as the ground wire...
from a overhead wire, and gives a power output of 2550 kW. The trains have a maximum speed of 160 kilometres per hour (99.4 mph). There are eight doors per side, and a passenger capacity of 310 seated passengers. Each train has one handicap seating place and one toilet.