SL X60
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| X60 | |
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 X60 commuter train at Stockholm Central Station |
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| Manufacturer | Alstom |
| Constructed | 2005-08 |
| Number built | 71 |
| Formation | 6 cars |
| Capacity | 374 |
| Operator | Storstockholms Lokaltrafik |
| Lines served | Stockholm commuter rail |
| Specifications | |
| Car length | 107 m (total) |
| Maximum speed | 160 km/h |
| Weight | 206 t |
| Power output | 3000 kW |
| Gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in) |
| Voltage | 15 kV 16⅔ Hz AC |
X60 is the designation of Greater Stockholm Transport's (SL) new Coradia Lirex-model commuter trains, which as of 2006 are gradually replacing the older commuter trainsets.
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[edit] Background
The original cars for the Stockholm commuter rail service, called X1, were delivered between 1967 and 1975. A batch of new cars, designated X10, were delivered between 1983 and 1993. These two sets of cars made up the backbone of the fleet from 1967 until 2005. As time went on and passengers demanded more comfortable travel and more features, SL came to realize that it was time to replace the older stock completely.
In 2002, SL ordered 55 cars, with an option for 50 more, from the French manufacturer Alstom. The price for the first 55 cars is about SEK 4 billion.
Delivery of the X60 began in 2005, and as of 2006 the initial order of 55 cars is expected to be completed in the spring of 2007. The X60 cars are replacing the older stock as they are delivered. Service with the X60 was inaugurated 13 August 2005 at Stockholm Central Station.
The trains are manufactured in Salzgitter in Germany.
[edit] Safety and comfort
Each car is 107 meters (351 feet) long and consists of six articulated portions. Each car can seat 374 and take 530 standees. Two such cars coupled together make up a full-length train. It is easy to go through the entire car to find an empty seat, or to move if one part of the car is crowded, and the design also provides visibility through the length of the car, which SL's passenger surveys found was important in order to help passengers feel safe. SL has also specified lower backrests in the X60 to improve visibility all the way through the car.
Boarding and alighting from the new train is intended to be much easier than doing so on the older commuter train stock. At each door, and in a full 92% of each car, the floor is at the same level as the station platforms. This means a significant quality improvement for all passengers, particularly for older people and the mobility-impaired.
The train is built in accord with the nominal platform height specified in the Swedish Railway Administration's standards. The Administration has begun a project to correct the heights of non-conforming platforms, but even before all the platforms have been fixed, passengers will notice a significant improvement in the form of a much lower floor height compared to the current stock, making boarding and alighting much easier than before.
In each car there are "flexible areas" that have room for wheelchairs, baby carriages and bicycles.
Another new feature is that the trains are equipped with air conditioning in both the passenger and cab areas. The seats have been designed in collaboration with leading ergonomists and representatives for SL passengers.
All cars have security cameras installed, just like the new Stockholm metro cars; this can contribute to increased security. Naturally, other safety details have also been carefully worked out, not least fire safety, with the use of non-inflammable and self-extinguishing materials.
[edit] Higher environmental standards
High environmental standards have shaped the choice of materials in the new commuter trains. 95% of the cars can be recycled when they are ready to be scrapped.
When the trains brake, the motors act as generators and return electric current to the system rather than consuming power. The current that is produced is conducted back to the catenary. If there is another train in the same electrical section, this train will use as much of the generated energy as it can. Any excess electrical energy (including when there is no other train in the section) is returned to the public grid.
The trains are designed and built for Swedish weather conditions; it should be possible to operate them without service disruptions both in heavy snow and in hot summers (X1 and X10 had problems with the heavy snowfall and froze, disabling them seriously). The technical systems in the train are "doubled," i.e. redundancy is provided, which greatly reduces the risk of service disruptions.
[edit] X61
The public transport organisation in Skåne (Sweden), Skånetrafiken, has placed an order on 49 new regional trains, for first delivery 2009. They will be based on X60, but shorter, about 75 m and have four cars. They will be called X61 and have an interior more suited for a little longer distances. They will have more comfortable chairs, and have toilets, which the SL X60 does not have. Östgötatrafiken (the public transport organisation in Östergötland) has placed an order for 5 trains of type X61, to be delivered in 2010.
[edit] References
- Order for new commuter trains at SL.se (Swedish)
- About the new commuter trains at SL.se (Swedish)
- The X1 at swetramway.org (Swedish)
- The X10 at swetramway.org (Swedish)
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