 | This article has multiple issues. Please helpimprove it or discuss these issues on thetalk page.(Learn how and when to remove these messages) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
|
| Stadler GTW | |
|---|---|
 Stadler GTW Railcar onCapMetro Rail inAustin, Texas | |
 The path through the drive container of a GTW 2/8 fromConnexxion (Netherlands) | |
| Manufacturer | Stadler Rail |
| Constructed | 1995–2017 |
| Diagram |  |
| Specifications | |
| Train length |
|
| Width |
|
| Doors | 4 |
| Articulated sections | 3 |
| Maximum speed | 115–140 km/h (71–87 mph) |
| Weight |
|
| UIC classification |
|
| AAR wheel arrangement | 2-B-2 (GTW 2/6) |
| Safety system(s) | EN 15227 |
| Multiple working | up to four trains |
| Track gauge |
|
TheStadler GTW (German:Gelenktriebwagen,lit. 'articulated railcar') is anarticulatedrailcar for local transport made byStadler Rail of Switzerland. The vehicles can be built formetre,standard andIberian gauges and can use diesel or electric power supply. Variants have also been produced for use onrack railways. Until 2011, 551 units had been sold[1] and GTW vehicles are in use in Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Switzerland and the United States.
The first GTW railcars were metre-gauge electric vehicles for theBiel–Täuffelen–Ins-Bahn (BTI) andChemins de fer électriques Veveysans (CEV) in Switzerland. Eleven trains were ordered in 1994 and delivered in 1997. The traction equipment was located in a central power unit instead of being mounted on the roof which meant that the railways did not have to modify their workshops to allow access to the train roofs. The car bodies used a lightweight bolted construction to reduce operating costs.[2][3]
Stadler presented the first standard-gaugediesel-electric prototype in 1995, intended for the German market. After testing this unit was acquired by theMittelthurgau-Bahn (MThB) along with two more identical units for use on theRadolfzell–Mengen railway. A further 30 units were ordered byHessische Landesbahn (HLB) and 66 byDB Regio. The passenger sections for the HLB and DB trains were built by DWA Bautzen and have fibre-glass cabs with a much rounder shape than the MThB trains.[2][4]
The second generation can be easily distinguished by its rounded cab made from FRP (glass-fiber-reinforced plastic). A batch of 12 trains went to Athens (Greece) in meter gauge (ordered in 1999, delivered since 2003). With the second generation the available options for GTW trains expanded. Meter-gauge vehicles could be ordered with2.2 or 2.7 m (7 ft2+5⁄8 in or 8 ft10+1⁄4 in) width and standard-gauge vehicles in a3.0 or 3.1 m (9 ft10+1⁄8 in or 10 ft 2 in) width.[citation needed] Vehicles could also be expanded with a third passenger section.
The third generation has minor modifications to the cab shape but the more important changes were made to the power module. The electric variant's power was increased to 700 to 800 kW (940 to 1,070 hp), instead of up to 520 kW (700 hp), and the diesel-electric variant was available with two generators instead of one. This allowed a higher maximum speed, which was a requirement of Italian customers. The concept impressed theArriva operator in the Netherlands which ordered 43 trains in 2005 asking for some further developments. The modified type sold well to other operators in the Netherlands and abroad, as both DMU and EMU variants.
The fourth generation was modified to comply with theEN 15227 crashworthiness requirements, which applied from 2008.[5] In the same year much of the production was moved to the Stadler's factory inSiedlce, Poland.
Because of the crashworthiness requirements, the GTW gained weight over time. The original concept in 1998 weighed 483 kg (1,065 lb) per seat while in 2010 this had increased to 660 kg (1,460 lb) per seat. This was higher than aFLIRT ET 22 from 2007, at 639 kg (1,409 lb) per seat. As a consequence, the manufacturer saw its biggest customers, Arriva and Connexxion, switch over to the FLIRT models for the following deliveries in 2012. Only some replacements for diesel-electric and cog-wheel trains followed after that point in time. For those application areas Stadler introduced theWINK concept (or Flirtino) in 2018. FLIRT and WINK are the next-generation models that can support updated crashworthiness requirements. Like Stadler's GTW family of multiple units, WINK has a central power module containing the energy generation, traction and auxiliary systems, while the frame and other parts are derived from the FLIRT models.
Unlike high-floor railcars, with traction equipment under the floor, or other low-floor designs, with some equipment on the roof, the GTW is driven by a central power module with two powered axles. The three-car variant has two lightweight passenger modules, each with onebogie, resting on the power module and is designated GTW 2/6 because two of its six axles are powered. Longer four-car GTW 2/8 vehicles have an extra passenger section on one side of the powerpack.[2][4] Two three-car units with cabs at only one end andGangway connections at the other form a GTW 4/12. For operational flexibility up to four GTWs can be operatedin multiple.
The passenger sections do not need to carry any traction equipment and use a lightweight aluminium construction. The power module is constructed from welded steel.[2] They have a low floor over most of their length, except over the bogies.[4] The modular design of the GTW means that the end modules can be delivered withscrew couplings and buffers or withScharfenberg couplers.[2]
All of the usual comforts to be expected in a modern local network railcar are provided, such asair conditioning, a multi-purpose area,vacuum toilets (in a washroom suitable for the disabled) and apassenger information system.[2]
Although the traction is good for the powered bogies the concept has the same problem as other light railcars with the brakes on the non-powered axles having lower grip than traditional railcars. This has led to restrictions when leaves are on the rails as thewheel slide protection can not fully compensate the effect. The central power module has limits with heat dissipation as well which can lead to situations where the power output needs to be limited.[citation needed]
GTWs can bediesel–electric or electric-powered (viaoverhead wires orthird rail). The first diesel powered units (for MThB, DB and HLB) had a 550 kW (740 hp) MTU engine.[2] Later units (for New Jersey Transit and Vinschgerbahn) use two 390 kW (520 hp) MAN engines.[4] Electric propulsion modules with 600 to 1,100 kW (800 to 1,480 hp) are available. IGBT based traction converters together with asynchronous motors are used as drive units. The traction converters are manufactured by ABB at their site in Turgi, Switzerland and the motors by TSA Austria.
In 1998 theLinzer Lokalbahn placed an order which needed to be modified to conform to the DIN 5510 class 2 safety standard, as well as different electrification. These eight trains were delivered in 2000 from the Swiss facilities and an option of six more trains was fulfilled in 2005.
Steiermärkischen Landesbahnen ordered six GTW railcars in 2009 for use on theStyria S-Bahn. Three are diesel and three electric but they use as many common parts as possible to reduce maintenance costs.[6]
The Panoramique des Dômes rack railway in France uses four GTW 2/6 since opening in 2012.[7]
In Greece,Hellenic Train operates two variants of the Stadler GTW 2/6 (known also incorrectly asrailbus), owned byOSE. It is the main suburbanDMU and there are two variants, for metre and the standard gauge. Themetre-gauge variant (OSE class 4501) operates in the Suburban of Patras (Proastiakos) and the tourist line of Katakolo–Pyrgos–Ancient Olympia. Thestandard-gauge variant (OSE class 560) operates on the Athens–Lianokladi regional service and the Lianokladi–Lamia–Stylida line (which is referred to as Proastiakos Lamias). In the near future, it is expected they will operate on different lines due to the electrification of the main network.
In Italy, GTW are used by some regional railways. The Vinschgerbahn (Bolzano), operated by Societá Automobilistica Dolomiti (SAD) was the first to order twelve vehicles in 2004, extended by eight vehicles of the same type for the Udine–Cividale line (FUC) in Padova, also in 2004.
Operators and classes of GTW in Italy are:
In 2005 the multinational transport companyArriva ordered 43 GTW diesel railcars (16 GTW 2/6 and 27 GTW 2/8) for use on regional services inGroningen andFriesland.[8] The vehicles are used on the lines: Leer (Germany)–Groningen,Delfzijl–Groningen, Leeuwarden–Groningen, Roodeschool/Eemshaven–Sauwerd, Veendam–Zuidbroek,Leeuwarden–Stavoren, Leeuwarden–Harlingen Haven. From December 2012, Arriva has also used diesel GTWs on Tiel-Arhnem, Arnhem–Winterswijk, Winterswijk–Zutphen and Zutphen–Apeldoorn.
.jpg)
In December 2024, trainsets 314 and 350 were moved from Groningen-Friesland and restickered to fulfil services on the Zutphen-Hengelo-Oldenzaal line in combination withAlstom LINT 41 trainsets.
The electric GTW are used on the Dordrecht–Gorinchem–Geldermalsen line (operated byQBuzz since 2018) and from December 2012 also on the Zwolle–Emmen line. Since December 2022 electric GTWs are also used on the weekly Arriva night train service between Groningen and Schiphol Airport.
Arriva Limburg uses electric GTW on the Kerkrade Centrum–Heerlen–Maastricht Randwyck and Heerlen–Maastricht lines, and diesel units are used on the Roermond–Venlo–Nijmegen lines.
.jpg)
Connexxion used one electric GTW for the Barneveld Centrum–Amersfoort line. This GTW is transferred to the Vechtdallijnen from Arriva, Starting in December 2012Connexxion also uses nine diesel GTWs for theBreng concession.
TheŽelezničná spoločnosť Slovensko (ZSSK) use two classes of metre-gauge electric GTW on theTatra Electric Railway. FifteenClass 425.95 were delivered between 2000 and 2006.[9] FiveZSSK Class 495.95 trains were delivered in 2021. These are capable of operating on both the Tatra Electric Railway and theŠtrbské Pleso–Štrba rack railway.[10]
ZSSK also operate standard-gauge diesel GTWs (ZSSK Class 840) in thePoprad region. From December 2020 these trains are also used on the Bratislava—Komárno line.[11]
TheFerrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) purchased two diesel-powered,Iberian gauge trains for use on theLleida–La Pobla Line. The trains are designated class 331 and entered service in 2016.[12] A third GTW entered service in 2022.[13]
FGC also operates seven narrow-gauge trains for their rack railway lines. The first five trains were purchased in 2000 for theMontserrat Rack Railway and the remaining two were ordered in 2001 for theVall de Núria Rack Railway. These units are electric-powered using a pantograph installed on the central carriage. Additionally, the Nuria trains have a second pantograph in the front car to remove ice and snow from the overhead wires on colder seasons. Between 2020 and 2022, the two trains from the Núria line have been transferred to the Montserrat line.
_-_S14_nach_Konstanz.jpg)
TheSwiss Federal Railways has seventeen GTW 2/8 (RABe 520) for use on theSeetal railway line. These are a special version which is only 2.65 m (8 ft 8 in) wide because the line runs alongside a road.[14]
Thurbo uses a large fleet of RABe 526 (GTW 2/6 and 2/8) on various lines in eastern Switzerland.Regionalverkehr Mittelland bought several GTW 2/6, which were later extended to GTW 2/8 and finally sold to the Swiss Federal Railways in 2013.
Variousnarrow gauge railways use GTWs:Chemins de fer du Jura,Biel–Täuffelen–Ins-Bahn, and theTransports Montreux–Vevey–Riviera.
TheCapital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (CapMetro) inAustin, Texas, uses ten Diesel rail vehicles of the type GTW 2/6 on its 32-mile (51.5 km) red line from Leander to Downtown Austin. CapMetro originally purchased six GTW DMUs from Stadler in 2005, but expanded their fleet to ten units in 2017.[16][15] The 4 newer units feature LED destination signs instead of flip-dot signs, a slightly tweaked paint scheme (to better match the MetroBus paint scheme), and an updated engine car design that features a rounded top rather than an angular top as found on the older DMUs.
TheDenton County Transportation Authority (DCTA), announced on May 20, 2009, that it would purchase 11 GTW 2/6 articulateddiesel multiple units (DMUs) for DCTA's 21-mile (34 km) corridor fromDenton toCarrollton. This line connects with theDallas Area Rapid Transit (DART)Green Line which extends from thePleasant Grove neighborhood in southeastDallas to northern Carrollton. The contract includes an option for up to 25 additional GTWs.[17]
In 2014, theBay Area Rapid Transit District Authority ordered eight GTW 2/6 DMUs for theeBARTstandard gauge tracks (the rapid transit system uses awide gauge) toAntioch,California with two options to procure six more.[18] The first trains were delivered by June 2017,[19] with revenue service starting in May 2018.
Classes of GermanDMUs | ||
|---|---|---|
| BR number |  | |
| Pre-1968 classes | ||
| OldDRG numbers | ||
| DR in the GDR | ||
| Special trains | ||
| Diesel railbuses | ||
