Alstom and VR to make improvements in the Finnish Pendolino trains

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Alstom Transport and VR Group have concluded an agreement on modifications to be made on the Finnish Pendolino trains, that will improve the trains’ operation in winter conditions and the coupling of the trains online. The modifications will be carried out as a joint project between the parties. Alstom will be responsible for the technical solutions. The total cost of this project is several millions of euros. The improvement works will be carried out in 2011-2015.

New coupling system

A new coupling system will be installed in all Pendolino trains in order to quickly couple and uncouple the trains online at intermediate stations. Coupling of two trainsets will improve the flexibility of the traffic and it will allow more capacity on the congested tracks. The new coupling system will be tested in winter conditions in January-March 2013 with two trains. After that the serial assembly of the new coupling system will start. New couplers will be assembled to all Pendolino trains by Summer 2015.

Operation in winter conditions

Hot water pipes will be installed in bogie areas in order to speed up the de-icing at depots. Hot water will be led by the pipes to areas that are not easily available and where the de-icing is challenging during the available time at depots. In addition, improvements will be made in the bogie area on electrical cabling routing and mechanical protection to prevent damages caused by track macadam and accumulated snow and ice.

Alstom Transport has delivered to Finland totally 18 Pendolino trains in years 1995-2006 (2 preseries trains 1995, 8 optional trains 2000-2002 and 8 trains 2004-2006). The average mileage of each Pendolino train set is over 300 000 km annually. In addition Alstom Transport has delivered 30 suburban area commuter trains and four Allegro Pendolino trains for the Helsinki St.Petersbourg high speed link. 

• Transport projects in Finland

• Link to VR Group