Wersja polska 		 

Test drives of "Pendolino" train in Poland.

Obrazek tytu?owy

The home page of Stanisław Donarski
 

Welcome to my page, where I shortly describe test drives of "Pendolino" train, which maybe soon will operate on polish tracks. As only one polish engine driver I was a member of drivers staff, together with three italian colleagues.

    The train "Pendolino" ETR 460, produced by Fiat Ferroviaria was in Poland  since 6th May  to 23th May 1994 to demonstrate its high availability, reliability and maintaiability and eventually purchase by Polish State Railways. (PKP). The train, exept show-drives and stand-shows was tested on speed and body tilt control system. During the speed tests has been achived the speed record on polish tracks - 250,1 km/h. During test drives  was demonstrated possibilities of increasing speed in curves without modyfing the existing tracks and infrastructures and granting the passengers an excellent level of comfort. The speed record has been achieved at CMK (Central Main Line) in km 40,00.
    Tests of body tilt system  was carried out between stations Rybno Pomorskie and Rakowice on the line Warszawa - Gdańsk. All the tests was succesful. In curves, the speed was increased from 100 km/h up to 153 km/h.
    This is only general information. I hope it was beginning of great changes in polish railways.
 



"Pendolino" at  Gdańsk Główny 19 V 1994.


Engine drivers staff during test drives in Poland. Left: Guido Guelli, Raffaelle Sica, Stanisław Donarski, Nicola Sangermano.


"Pendolino" ETR 460 - performances and technical data.

The "Pendolino" has been conceived as a EMU (Electric Multiple Unit) to keep an axle load to an extremally low level in order to allow the train to negotiate curves at a speed higher by up to 35% it compared with conventional IC trains (locomotive plus trailers). The tilting system makes it possible to increase speed in curves without modyfing the existing tracks and infrasructures also granting the passengers an excellent level of comfort.
 
 Producent :  Fiat Ferroviaria (Savigliano-Italy)
 Number of coaches :  9   (6 motor coaches, 3 trailer coaches)
 Lenght of train :  236,6 [ m ]   (9315")
 Total number of seats (1st and 2nd class) :  456
 Body width :  2,8 [ m ]   (110,2")
 Weght in running order :  416,5 [ t ] 
 Max speed :  250 [ km/h ]    (155 mph)
 Gauge :  1435 [ mm ]
 Supply voltage :  3000 [ V ]  DC
 Power :  6,0 [ MW ]

Test drives at CMK (Central Railway Main Line)

    A speed tests was carried out at CMK (Cental Railway Main Line) Warszawa - Katowice adapted to high speed trains, track nr 2 section : Strzałki - Biała Rawska - Szeligi (from km 47,1 to km 36,6 - distance 11,5 km). During the tests a tilting system was turned off, because at this section a minimal curve radius is 4980m and even at the speed 250 km/h, a tilt of body should not happen. To the test was used 1 motor coach + 1 trailer.

9 V 1994- a drive on test section with speed 160 km/h

10 V 1994- 7 drives with speed: 183, 204, 227, 224, 236, 236, 244 km/h

11 V 1994
- 2 drives with speed: 200 i 245 km/h

- at 1.14 PM was started test, in which was achieved  250,1 km/h  what means speed record at PKP and East Central Europe tracks.

All participans of the record test got a special diplomas.
 

A tilting body tests.


A tilting body of train makes it possible to increase a speed in curves up to 30% without modyfying the existing tracks and infrastructures also granting the passengers an excellent level of comfort. The system makes it possible to tilt the body by 7%, corresponding to a compensation of the centrifugal acceleration of 1,8 m/s2. (Usually train on PKP achive up to 0,6 m/s2).

The test drives was carried at section Rybno Pomorskie - Rakowice (km 173,0 - 198,8) - track nr 1 on the line Warszawa - Gdańsk. At this section are curves with radius 470m to 1500m, some of it with opposite turns, so it was carried out with centrifugal acceleration: 0,8m/s2 - 1,0m/s2 - 1,2m/s2 - 1,4m/s2 - 1,6m/s2 - 1,7m/s2 - 1,8m/s2.
 

Photographs
  Pendolino at Gdańsk Główny 14 V 1994. (photo Piotr Dowbor)
 A coach door, and a coach . (photo Piotr Dowbor)
 A coach interior. (photo Jan Kups)
 Engine drivers driving the train in Poland. (photo Piotr Dowbor)
 View from drivers cab. (photo Jan Kups)
 At control desk. (photo Piotr Dowbor)
 Sketch of section, where the speed record was achieved. (Świat Kolei 2/97)
 An order of driving. (copy from original)
 A place of speed record. (Świat Kolei 2/97)


  Authors of this page Stanisław Donarski (engine driver driving the train during a test drives - presently engine driver at depot Gdynia), and Piotr Dowbor (technical servis of this page - engine driver at depot Gdynia) asks for sending a notices, and sugestions at address:

parlin@poczta.onet.pl