Siemens Viaggio Light
Encyclopedia
Siemens Viaggio Light is a standard gauge
single-deck passenger train made by Siemens AG
, initially as the diesel
ISR SDPP (single deck push-pull) Train for Israel Railways
. The first order included 87 cars, with an option for a total of 585 cars. The cars arrived in Israel during 2008 and are gradually entering service in 2009. They were colored blue and white after the scheme won in a public poll published by Israel Railways
.
There have been a number of controversies surrounding the trains. After their delivery had been delayed by the manufacturer, problems were discovered in them and they were taken out of service in May 2009 but have since been gradually put back into service.
was chosen by Israel Railways
to provide 87 cars for NIS
700 million, with an option for a total of 585 cars for NIS 4 billion, following an international tender in which Alstom
and Bombardier
also participated. The winner was chosen in January 2006 and the contract was signed in March 2006. The trains were constructed by Siemens in their factories in Prague
, Maribor
, and a temporary one built in Israel. The bogies were tested in Graz
, Austria
and the cars in Switzerland by a company called PROSE, and delivered to Israel between June 18, 2008 and July 2009, after three delays.
The color scheme was subject to a public poll, published by Israel Railways in newspapers and the Internet, which gave a choice of four designs: Blue and red with white stripes, blue, red and white, red with white stripes, and blue with white stripes. The blue and white design won with 34.9% of a total of 62,871 people who participated in the survey. 58,871 votes came from Internet users (at least 547 of whom were not from Israel), and an additional 4,000 rail travelers were polled by Israel Railways staff. There was no significant difference between the results of the two groups.
In early 2010, due to an anticipated equipment shortage because of the opening of new rail lines, Israel Railways exercised its option to purchase additional units, ordering 4 control car
s and 27 regular cars for the sum of €46 million. They are expected to arrive in the summer of 2011.
with a power generator, a regular passenger car, and a handicap-accessible passenger car with wheelchair equipment, including the Trainlift TR 450 technology. The control car is 25.6 meters long, while the trailer cars are 26.1 m long, although all cars have a length of 26.4 m including buffers. The total train length (10 cars) is 284 m. All cars are 2.8 m wide and 4.35 m high and weigh 56.1 tons (control car), 48.1 tons (regular car) and 47.9 tons (handicap-accessible car). The floor entrance height is 1.03 m. The wheel diameter is 92 centimeters, and the bogie
(model SF-300) size is 2.5 m.
The maximum service speed of the train is 160 km/h (100 mph), to be hauled by an Israel Railways
Alstom
/GM-EMD JT42BW locomotive (and in the future also by Vossloh Euro locomotives) and was initially meant to carry 10 passenger cars in total (including the control car and three wheelchair-accessible cars). The cars are connected with standard UIC
gear. However, following initial testing in Israel, Israel Railways decided that only 8 or 9 cars would make up each train. The cars are connected by standard couplings
as well as cables for power transmission.
The cars are a monocoque
design. The floor is 1,030 mm high, and 1,250 mm over the bogie sections. The control car is capable of seating 27 passengers (23 fixed seats at 1,850 seat pitch), while the trailer cars can seat 82 each (78 fixed and 4 folding seats, 1,080 mm pitch). The doors are 1,200 mm wide and 1,900 mm in height. They close either manually or after a set time after no movement is detected by electronic sensors.
reported serious problems with the Viaggio Light model, including a longer stopping distance when traveling north, narrow doors and corridors, and problems with the Trainlift TR 450 technology. Israel Railways said that the allegations were exaggerated. These and other problems caused Israel Railways to take Viaggio Light out of service in May 2009, until the issues were sorted out.
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...
single-deck passenger train made by Siemens AG
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
, initially as the diesel
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
ISR SDPP (single deck push-pull) Train for Israel Railways
Israel Railways
Israel Railways is the principal passenger railway operating company in Israel, and is responsible for all inter-city and suburban rail way passenger and freight traffic in the country. All its lines are standard gauge. The network is centered in Israel's densely populated coastal plain, from...
. The first order included 87 cars, with an option for a total of 585 cars. The cars arrived in Israel during 2008 and are gradually entering service in 2009. They were colored blue and white after the scheme won in a public poll published by Israel Railways
Israel Railways
Israel Railways is the principal passenger railway operating company in Israel, and is responsible for all inter-city and suburban rail way passenger and freight traffic in the country. All its lines are standard gauge. The network is centered in Israel's densely populated coastal plain, from...
.
There have been a number of controversies surrounding the trains. After their delivery had been delayed by the manufacturer, problems were discovered in them and they were taken out of service in May 2009 but have since been gradually put back into service.
Conception and delivery
Siemens AGSiemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
was chosen by Israel Railways
Israel Railways
Israel Railways is the principal passenger railway operating company in Israel, and is responsible for all inter-city and suburban rail way passenger and freight traffic in the country. All its lines are standard gauge. The network is centered in Israel's densely populated coastal plain, from...
to provide 87 cars for NIS
Israeli new sheqel
The Israeli New Shekel is the currency of the State of Israel. The shekel is divided into 100 agorot...
700 million, with an option for a total of 585 cars for NIS 4 billion, following an international tender in which 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 Bombardier
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....
also participated. The winner was chosen in January 2006 and the contract was signed in March 2006. The trains were constructed by Siemens in their factories in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, Maribor
Maribor
Maribor is the second largest city in Slovenia with 157,947 inhabitants . Maribor is also the largest and the capital city of Slovenian region Lower Styria and the seat of the Municipality of Maribor....
, and a temporary one built in Israel. The bogies were tested in Graz
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and the cars in Switzerland by a company called PROSE, and delivered to Israel between June 18, 2008 and July 2009, after three delays.
The color scheme was subject to a public poll, published by Israel Railways in newspapers and the Internet, which gave a choice of four designs: Blue and red with white stripes, blue, red and white, red with white stripes, and blue with white stripes. The blue and white design won with 34.9% of a total of 62,871 people who participated in the survey. 58,871 votes came from Internet users (at least 547 of whom were not from Israel), and an additional 4,000 rail travelers were polled by Israel Railways staff. There was no significant difference between the results of the two groups.
In early 2010, due to an anticipated equipment shortage because of the opening of new rail lines, Israel Railways exercised its option to purchase additional units, ordering 4 control car
Control car (rail)
A control car is a generic term for a non-powered railroad vehicle that can control operation of a train from the end opposite to the position of the locomotive...
s and 27 regular cars for the sum of €46 million. They are expected to arrive in the summer of 2011.
Technical specifications and features
There are three types of cars: a control carControl car (rail)
A control car is a generic term for a non-powered railroad vehicle that can control operation of a train from the end opposite to the position of the locomotive...
with a power generator, a regular passenger car, and a handicap-accessible passenger car with wheelchair equipment, including the Trainlift TR 450 technology. The control car is 25.6 meters long, while the trailer cars are 26.1 m long, although all cars have a length of 26.4 m including buffers. The total train length (10 cars) is 284 m. All cars are 2.8 m wide and 4.35 m high and weigh 56.1 tons (control car), 48.1 tons (regular car) and 47.9 tons (handicap-accessible car). The floor entrance height is 1.03 m. The wheel diameter is 92 centimeters, 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...
(model SF-300) size is 2.5 m.
The maximum service speed of the train is 160 km/h (100 mph), to be hauled by an Israel Railways
Israel Railways
Israel Railways is the principal passenger railway operating company in Israel, and is responsible for all inter-city and suburban rail way passenger and freight traffic in the country. All its lines are standard gauge. The network is centered in Israel's densely populated coastal plain, from...
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...
/GM-EMD JT42BW locomotive (and in the future also by Vossloh Euro locomotives) and was initially meant to carry 10 passenger cars in total (including the control car and three wheelchair-accessible cars). The cars are connected with standard UIC
International Union of Railways
The UIC , or International Union of Railways, is an international rail transport industry body.- Brief history :The railways of Europe originated as separate concerns. There were many border changes after World War I and the Treaty of Versailles. Colonial railways were the responsibility of the...
gear. However, following initial testing in Israel, Israel Railways decided that only 8 or 9 cars would make up each train. The cars are connected by standard couplings
Coupling (railway)
A coupling is a mechanism for connecting rolling stock in a train. The design of the coupler is standard, and is almost as important as the railway gauge, since flexibility and convenience are maximised if all rolling stock can be coupled together.The equipment that connects the couplings to the...
as well as cables for power transmission.
The cars are a monocoque
Monocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
design. The floor is 1,030 mm high, and 1,250 mm over the bogie sections. The control car is capable of seating 27 passengers (23 fixed seats at 1,850 seat pitch), while the trailer cars can seat 82 each (78 fixed and 4 folding seats, 1,080 mm pitch). The doors are 1,200 mm wide and 1,900 mm in height. They close either manually or after a set time after no movement is detected by electronic sensors.
Controversies
In February 2009, YnetYnet
Ynet is the most popular Israeli news and general content website. It is owned by the same conglomerate that operates Yediot Ahronot, the country's secondleading daily newspaper...
reported serious problems with the Viaggio Light model, including a longer stopping distance when traveling north, narrow doors and corridors, and problems with the Trainlift TR 450 technology. Israel Railways said that the allegations were exaggerated. These and other problems caused Israel Railways to take Viaggio Light out of service in May 2009, until the issues were sorted out.
External links
- Official page on the Siemens website