10-30-2010, 03:33 AM
FLIRT (Fast Light Innovative Regional Train) is the acronym the manufacturer, Swiss company Stadler, has chosen for the type of electric motor units Norwegian train operator NSB has bought to upgrade it's pool of commuter and regional trains. NSB will rather unromantically call them Type 74 trains.
The Norwegian trains will be a little faster than standard, though. Standard speed for the FLIRTS is 100 mph (160 kph). The new batch delivered for commuter traffic in Norway in 2012 will upgraded to 125 mph, to allow the airport express trains and other regional trains to move at larger speeds too on the parts of the net shared between the airport express trains and the commuter trains.
The NSB Type 71 airport express trains and type 73 regional trains are built for 130 mph, but the current commuter trains were built for lower speeds. The oldest NSB type 69 electric motor units are built for 80 mph top speed, and the newer type 72 electric motor units are built for 100 mph.
Seems like a sound move. Originally the airport express trains was supposed to run alone on a dedicated higher speed set of tracks between Oslo and Oslo Airport Gardermoen, part of which was a 14 mile double track tunnel between Oslo and Lillestrom, while commuter and regional trains poked along at 80 mph along the old track which went around the hills instead of under them.
Here's looking forward at hitting 125 mph on the commuter trains as well :-)
Grin,
Stein
The Norwegian trains will be a little faster than standard, though. Standard speed for the FLIRTS is 100 mph (160 kph). The new batch delivered for commuter traffic in Norway in 2012 will upgraded to 125 mph, to allow the airport express trains and other regional trains to move at larger speeds too on the parts of the net shared between the airport express trains and the commuter trains.
The NSB Type 71 airport express trains and type 73 regional trains are built for 130 mph, but the current commuter trains were built for lower speeds. The oldest NSB type 69 electric motor units are built for 80 mph top speed, and the newer type 72 electric motor units are built for 100 mph.
Seems like a sound move. Originally the airport express trains was supposed to run alone on a dedicated higher speed set of tracks between Oslo and Oslo Airport Gardermoen, part of which was a 14 mile double track tunnel between Oslo and Lillestrom, while commuter and regional trains poked along at 80 mph along the old track which went around the hills instead of under them.
Here's looking forward at hitting 125 mph on the commuter trains as well :-)
Grin,
Stein