BULLETIN

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TILTliNG STOCKROGER BRADLEY

It is exactly 20 y'ears since the firsttilting trains were developed by BritishRail, following significant R&D work,along with pioneering trials with a gasturbine unit.

By the end of the 1970s, proposalsto revitalise the network had beenprepared and the infamous AdvancedPassenger Train with its tilting coacheswas already on test.

Britain was not unique in developingbody tilting mechanisms to allow trainsto run at higher speed without massiveinvestment in new, purpose-built lines.In the rest of Europe, investigationswere proceeding with the technology.In 1979, BR spent some time inGermany advertising and promotingAPT technology, although thetechniques were more successfullyadapted in Italy. Ironically, thesuccessful development of thetechnology means that Pendolini willbe put to work on the same routestravelled by the APT more than 20years earlier. Throughout the world,the maturing technology is beingapplied, in a market dominated byEuropean manufacturers.

TILTING TECHNOLOGYThere have been two significantdevelopment arms for the technology,one driven by ABB, later Adtranz in~weden, on the X2000 trains for SJ,with the other, of course, Fiat Ferroviariain Italy. The principle attributes to railtransport of this technology are:o Improved passenger travelling

comforto High speeds on existing trackso Low investment costs and

environmental impacto Flexible operationso Improved economies on operating

expenditure

X2000

The X2000 that surfaced in the late1980s and early 1990s was a six-coachset, w.ith one power car, a driving trailerand four intermediate vehicles, with amaximum design speed of 210 km/h.This reduced journey times for the457km route from Gothenburg toStockholm from four hours to just underthree hours.

The vehicles themselves weredeveloped from a mid 1970s projectthat included self-steering bogies and acar body tilt mechanism, allowing thetrain to lean into curves. Although thesofter suspension used on the newbogies reduced track forces, without its

body tilting mechanism, the level ofpassenger discomfort would haveincreased. In order to eliminate this andprovide a smootherride quality athigherspeeds, a system of hydraulic cylinderscarried below the vehicle.floors allowedthe car bodies to tilt at up to 8 degrees,reducing centrifugal forces by up to 70per cent. In order to ensure that thevehicle bodies are titled to the rightdegree at the right time, accelerometersin the front driving bogies pass signalsto the on-board computer system, sothat the hydraulic cylinders that activatethe body tilt could be accuratelycontrolled.

Twenty of these X2000 series trainswere ordered by SJ, with the firstentering revenue service in September1990. The following year, one of theunits was sent to Germany andSwitzerland on a series of demonstrationtrials. In Germany, along the tortuousSaar Valley route, maximum speeds of160 km/h were recorded, suggesting apossible reduction of around 22 percent on existing journey times byadopting this new technology. At thesame time, X2000 was tried out on oneof the new high speed ICE lines,reaching a maximum of 250 km/h andagain demonstrating the stability andability of the new trains on straight andlevel tracks.

Further south, in Switzerland,running between Schaffhausen andZurich, X2000 reached a speed of 176 .km/h.

PENDOLINOThe Italian connection has perhaps aneven longer history, tracing itsdevelopment back to the late 1960s.The first real steps forward were madein 1976, when the experimental ETR401took to the rails. This four-coach trainwas the first in the world and thenickname' Pendolino' , adopted for thefamous tilting railcar experiments,stuck. Work continued to improve thesuspension and the tilting mechanisms,to reach the highest standards of safety,comfort and, of course, speed. A decadelater, in 1985, an order from ItalianState Railways was received for 15 ofthe new ETR450 nine-car trains.

ETR450 was, on the outside, aconventional fixed formation train, withtwo driving, power cars and sevenintermediate trailers. The power carswere fitted with traction motors, whilethe body tilting mechanism was drivenby a system of gyroscopes andaccelerometers carried in the leading

I TRACTION 7

Bombardier Transportation's new tilting trains for Virgin CrossCountry.

vehicles. The hydrauliccy linders that provided theangular rotation were mountedwithin the bodyshell, reachedfrom .floor to roof level andconnected to a lever mountedacross the vehicle, under thefloor. The vehicles' vertical andlateral secondary suspensionwas provided by 'integralflexicoi!, springs.

January 1992 saw the arrivalof the third generation ofPendolino in the shape ofETR460, with 10 nine-car setsordered by Italian StateRailways (FS), for service on its3kV de network. The newPendolino was built on the solidfoundations estab.lished by itspredecessors.

The heart of the new ETR460 andits active tilting mechanism is the bogie.The suspension includes two stages ofhorizontal and vertical suspension,together with anti-yaw dampers.Measurement of almost all aspects ofsuspension performance is carried outinreal time- including yaw phenomena,dependant on very sophisticated on-board computers.

Unlike the ETR450 series, the newPendolino hydraulic actuators for thetilt mechanism are carried below floorlevel, just like the Swedish X2000design. The only components of thetilting mechanism fixed to the coachbody is the transverse locating beam,allowing the body and bogiemanufacture to be undertakenseparately. Four links connect thelocating beam on the underside of thecoach floor, with the tilting beam carriedwithin the bogie. This also provides

The ETR460 'Pendolino' in service with ItalianState Railways (FS) demonstrating its abilitythrough curves. Thisis the seri~s that sparked offthe continued success throughout the 1990s andwhose technology will lie at the heart of the'Pendolini' coming to Britain.

support for the upper ends of thesecondary, flexicoil suspension,together with vertical and lateraldampers. The body to bogie forces aretransmitted via a rocker arm mountedbelow the main tilting beam.

Supporting the weight of the overallvehicle, two groups of coil springsconnect the axlebox with the bogieframe and provide the primarysuspension. The secondary suspensionconsists of four pairs of coil springsthat, in combination with the dampers,allow the bogie to move laterally andvertically.

This active suspension and tiltingmechanism is controlled by a mastercomputer, or microprocessor, mountedin the driving vehicle, taking inputsignals from sensors mounted on theleading bogie. The microprocessorcalculates the centrifugal accelerationand, through slave microprocessors andpneumatic valves, instructs thehydraulic activators fitted on each bogieto operate. The vehicle body is tilted at

RAIL BULLETIN FEBRUARY / MARCH 1999 23

the appropriate angle according to speedand location on the track. In addition tothis master-slave relationship, the slavetmits also perform localised control ofthe lateral suspension, together withthe monitoring and control of thevehicle's anti-yaw dampers. All in all,a very sophisticated arrangement,providing for a smooth, comfortableride for passengeFs at higher speeds onconventional tracks.

INTERNATIONAL PROJECTSThe success of this technology in the1990s has spawned a number ofprojectsaround the world, demonstrating thevalue of technology developments tothe economics of railway operation.The principal activities are shown inthe following list:

Spain - developed a tilting versionof its famous Talgo articulated trains,with a passive or 'natural tiltingmechanism', that has proved highlysuccessful in Spain but has attractedlittle interest elsewhere. Prior to this, inthe mid-1970s, Fiat had supplied a widegauge version of the Pendolino beingtrialled at the time in Italy.

Subsequently, it is planned tointroduce yet another Pendolino variant,the IC2000 series on selected routes.

Germany following theconventional approach to new highspeed lines as pioneered by France,Germany has adopted tilting technologyin the next generation ofICE trains, notsurprisingly under the acronym 'ICT'.In addition, Adtranz has providedanother generation of regional diesel-electric railcars, the VT-611, using thetechnology developed for the X2000trains in Sweden. These additionalregional trains follow on from thesuccessful trials with Pendolinitechnology on the VT-61O units. Thefirst driving trailer of the ICT highspeed tilting train was unveiled to thepublic in the spring of 1998. This year,construction will begin on 43 of thesetilting trains, joining the family of ICEtrains providing high speed services onthe electrified main lines. The new ICTtrains (32 seven-car sets and 11 five-carsets) use the Pendolino active tiltingsystem. DW A, Siemens TransportationSystems and Fiat Ferroviaria, alongwith Adtranz are members of theconsortium responsible for thedevelopment of this new train. The4MW trains were ordered from theconsortium in 1994 and arrived in 1998.They were; as elsewhere, planned foruse on routes where high speed linesare either not planned or completed. InGermany, this will cover routes betweenFrankfurt-am-Main to Munich, Berlinto Prague (in common with the CzechRepublic's Pendolini) and Stuttgart toZurich. For non-electrified lines, it isintended to introduce another variant ofthe VT611 trains.

Italy - the latest generation of ETR460 provides the option for use on

existing tracks, with significantincreases in line speeds and journeytime reductions. FS is also buildingDirettissimas. The latest high speedtrain - the ETR500 series - does notfeature any tilting mechanism.

Finland - Fiat Ferroviaria inpartnership with OY Transtech Ltdsupplied six -car Pendolino type to VR,from 1992. The six-car set consists oftwo power cars and four trailer cars andwere the first such tilting trains for25kV ac, 50Hz electrified lines. Thesuccess of the design, running betweenHelsinki and Turku prompted FinnishState Railways to order a further eight(with an option for 15 more) of thePendolino S-220 trains at the end of1997. The new trains will run betweenHelsinki and Tampere, building on thethousands of revenue earning tripsalready carried out between Helsinkiand Turku with the units that went intoservice in 1995. These new trains willenter service between 2000 and 2002.

China - A massive market for railtechnology, especially for projects thatmake effective use of existinginfrastructure. Back in 1997, theAdtranz powered X2000 tilting trainwas ordered by China. The Xinshisu, asthe train is known, was put to work onthe Guangzhou-Shenzen-Hong Kongroute in the spring of1998. The Xinshisuis able to reach speeds of 200 km/h andthe Guangzhou Railway Co is planningto further upgrade this importantcorridor, reducing journey times andincreasing line speeds.

Norway - The Adtranz technologybuilt into Sweden's X2000 trains willbe applied to at least one of the 16 newhigh speed three-car EMU's for theOslo - Gardermoen services.

Portugal- Another success for theFiat technology, to provide improvedline speeds on the Lisbon to Porto route,ten six -car trains were ordered in thespring of 1996. This projectdemonstrates the close co-operationbetween Adtranz and Fiat, with most ofthe manufacturing carried out in Turin,but final assembly at the Adtranz plantin Lisbon. The first set was delivered inthe summer of 1998, with type testingscheduled for the autumn oflast year. Itis expected that line speeds will beraised to 200 km/h giving a 50 per centimprovement on the current fastestjourney times. The CP Pendoluso isvery similar to the ETR Cisalpino, againwith Guigiaro design, but fitted withelectrical equipment from Siemens,instead of the Pendolini' s normal kitfrom Parizzi. Another change with thePortugese version is that the six -cartrains will be able to operate asmultiples, a feature that was notpreviously available. The arrangementwas tested in Finland, on the S-220series, but is not currently used on theItalian ETR460s.

Switzerland - Fiat Ferroviariareceived its order for the nine nine-car

units, named Pendolino Cisalpino, backin 1993, with equipment and designderived from the highly successfulETR460 series. The successful Adtranztrials of X2000 and the CisalpinoPendolino, resulted in further ordersfor tilting trains - ICN -2000 represents24 trains ordered in the late summer of1996 for the Bahn 2000 project. Theconsortium is headed by Adtranz, withFiat-SIG and Schindler all contributingto this order. This latest generation,although featuring the Pendolino bogieat its heart sees some technologicalchanges. The bogie itself, designed byFiat-SIG is completely redesigned, withsecondary air suspension units andelectro-mechanical activation of thetilting system. The bogie does notfeature an active lateral suspension, butdoes include a new means of ensuringthat the pantograph is maintained in thecorrect position to ensure effectivecurrent collection. A special framelinking the pantograph, mounted abovethe vehicle roof, with the tilting beam isactivated electro-mechanically, usingthe same microprocessors used tocontrol the body rotation. The new ICN-2000 trains are planned to enterrevenueearning service from May 2001,travelling through curves at speeds ofup to 30 per cent greater than currentmaximums.

Czech Republic - Quite apart fromthe likelihood of running the tiltingversion of ICE trains on internationalservices to Germany and beyond, CzechRailways ordered ten seven-car trainsat the end of 1995. These trains wereordered from a consortium, led by CKDPraha, but including MAV Studenka,Siemens and, of course, Fiat. Thesetrains are to be used on the Berlin-Dresden- Praha- Wienroute and are dualvoltage variants of thePendolino design,with the prototype of the Class 680 nowplanned to be delivered in April 1999.

France - very little development ofthis technology inFrance, thanks largelyto the hugely successful TGV network.Although, in the 1950s a passive tiltingmechanism was developed and testedon a Mauzin built railcar. The pursuit ofhigher speeds in France is dominatedby TGV, although SNCF is planning atilting train to run on existing track.However, ETR460 trains are alreadyrunning between Lyon and Turin, whilethe French Government are finding itdifficult to continue spending huge sumsof money on dedicated high speed linesand will be spending more on TGV, butwith tilting technology.

Australia - In Queensland the622km Brisbane-Rockhampton line isplanning to introduce high speedservices, with tilting technologysupplied by Hitachi, supported byAdtranz. The two six -car trains are tobe built by Evans Deakin Industries,with a maximum speed of 160 km/h,with potential journey time reductionsof 30 per cent.

I TRACTION 7USA - The American Flyer, for

Amtrak's Northeast Corridor isessentially an update of the Bombardier-built Light Rapid Comfortableintroduced in both Canada and the USAin the early 1980s. The new units willbe introduced this year, replacingAmtrak's current Metroliner EMU'son this route between Boston and NewYork. Maximum speeds will rise to 160km/h, bringing journey times down from4 hrs 30 mins to 3 hrs. Alstom andBombardier are supplying the trains,with Bombardier building on itsprevious experience with the LRC trainsand supplying the active tiltingtechnology.

THE PENDOLINI ARE COMINGVirgin Rail has placed a £1 billionorder with Fiat-Ferroviaria/ALSTOMfor the supply of 55 seven-car units,with Pendolino active suspension andAlstom electrical equipment. These newtrains are for inter -city services overthe West Coast Main Line and areplanned to enter service in the summerof 2001. Capable of speeds of around225 km/h, a much heralded doubling ofservices and reduced journey times areplanned. Two similar trains are intendedfor the East Coast Main Line, for theGreat North Eastern Railway.

Preparing for the introduction of225 mph tilting trains on the WCM willrequire replacement of existing catenarybetween Willesden and WeaverJunctions as well as upgrading powersupplies. The likely technology willfollow a technique adopted in NewZealand, where the core sections ofroute will have a 50kV feed, but with25kV at the pantograph. North ofWeaver Junction, the existing catenaryis suitable for line speeds of 200 km/h,but throughout the route, from Londonto Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow,upgrading of signalling systems is partof the plan. Construction work isexpected to begin this year forcompletion in 2003.

Tilting technology is also plannedfor regional services under Virgincontrol, a new breed of diesel multipleunits, similar in concept to the VT610and VT611 series used in Germany, isbeing supplied. However, Virgin Railhave selected Alstom and Bombardierto supply these four-car DMU's andfour and five-car push-pull units. Theselatter are a multinational project, with3,200hp locos, similar to the Class 67introduced on the EW&S Railway,but assembled in Spain with GeneralMotors engines. The coaches of thepush-pull trains are to be assembled atBombardier-Prorail in Wakefield andwill include the facility to install til~ingmechanism at a later date. The DMU'swill feature electronics from Elin (nowpart of Bombardier Transportation),600hp MTU engines and the same tiltingtechnology being fitted to Amtrak'snew American Flyer units.

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