Train of the Week

Good news! The City of Denver, CO is another step closer to their first commuter railroad system with the delivery of the first EMU built by Hyundai Rotem. The regional transit authority, the RTD is so excited that it is hosting a tour of these railcars at the newly revitalised Union Station from 3 December to 6 December. I can't find anything publicly on what the EMU is really called, everyone just calls it the Rotem EMU. Anyway, you know the gist of what an EMU is and this one is probably very similar to the SEPTA Silverliner V. I won't copy and paste stuff from RTD's website and will link you there (click HERE ) instead. It's quite an informative web page with quick facts and media contents. This EMU is scheduled to enter service in 2016. This video from YouTube here is not of the Denver EMU but a Rotem Silverliner V operated by SEPTA.

Recently, one of the two types of the much anticipated InterCity Programme trainsets, ones to replace the current InterCity 125 and 225 trainsets on British Rail was finally unveiled by Hitachi and the DfT. While detailed information on the inter-web is still scarce for this train, here are some links to news articles and official websites of the Class 800 electro-diesel trainset. Hopefully more on this trainset will emerge soon. Hitachi Class 800 trainsets begin testing in Japan First Hitachi Class 800 trainset unveiled Hitachi Press Release on the Class 800 Google search results on keywords "Hitachi Class 800"

The Electrostar, really developed by the former self of Berlin's Bombardier Transportation, Adtranz, is the most popular type of commuter electric multiple unit in Britain since the Thatcher Privatizations which has largely wiped out domestic rail research and development. Although one can argue that the Privatization has brought in better and more reliable equipment from Europe. I'm not getting into that. Class 375 Nice, simple, modern interior Anyway, the Electrostar, eh. This little EMU is seen in many shapes and forms and on many suburban and mainline services. This blog has mentioned a couple of types of the Electrostar before, the Gautrain (oh, did I forget to mention this one in South Africa?) and the Class 375/7 , which I've had the pleasure of riding during my trips to Britain. This Wikipedia page here sums up where exactly you may find yourself riding an Electrostar, to the best effort of its contributors. Please also feel free to explore the pages ded...

New equipment in North America is, in general, harder to come by than the rest of the world where rail is a primary mode of public transportation. Therefore I have no excuse to not mention any new comers onto North American rails. This week I'll write about a new commuter locomotive by Wabtec for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, she is called the HSP46. Unlike the MPExpress Series locomotives that can be seen across the continent by now, Wabtec has partnered up with General Electric in the case of the HSP46. Instead of the EMD 710, we have here a 12 cylinder GEVO engine at the heart of the HSP 46 that also supplies Head End Power. Four AC traction motors will take this puppy up to a top speed of 110 mph. This locomotive is also kind of a feather weight compared to her freight hauling siblings, coming in at only 287 500 lbs, 1 500 lbs more than a fully loaded standard 100 ton freight car. Not a bad looking loco at all really The paint scheme of the HSP46 co...

So I'd like to share a video today of what's up and coming in the next decade in the world of high speed ground travel. The video is the Series L0 Shinkansen pre-production set undergoing endurance testing on Yamanashi Test Line. She will be operating on the, now under construction, Chūō Shinkansen Line . Please feel free to follow the hyperlinks to find out more about this Shinkansen in the near future.

This is probably the 3rd post about the Zefiro 380 by Bombardier. I had previously jump the gun because I was so excited about this Very High Speed EMU. Finally, there have been some actual production trainsets running around in revenue testing service these days. German Engineering. What a beauty The Zefiro 380 is built by Bombardier Sifang Power Transportation in Qingdao, China, a former German colony locally known for its beer (definitely a very suitable place for a German transportation giant), for the sole operator so far of this EMU, China Railway High-speed. The Chinese classification for this beautifully designed trainset is CRH380D. The number 380 bears some significance here. Indeed these CRH380s are the world's first trainsets that are designed for a sustained top speed of 380 km/h or 236 mph in revenue service. Unfortunately the operator has opted for a really plain interior Alternate cars in the Zefiro 380 are powered and they come in either 8- or 6-car con...

I'm sure the excitement of riding some new unknown equipment for the first time lingers in a railfan's heart for a long time. I knew nothing about this EMU at the time I first stepped onto it at Heathrow Airport in the summer 2009, except that the conductor told me we could ONLY do 100 mph. It was a smooth ride to London Paddington, with the gentle whine of electrical wizardry at the helm and blurry scenery rushing by. 100 mph seemed like a hell of a deal for trains where I come from, but here the word "only" went ahead of it. The avid trainspotters of course know it by now, I'm talking about, the Class 332 used in the Heathrow Express service. Class 332 in Heathrow Express Service at London Paddington Then there's the Class 333, roaming the gentle landscape of West Yorkshire, far away from London. They are mechanically very similar if not identical to the Class 332 but have an entirely different interior layout. The Class 333 are used in regional comm...