Overview
The Stadler GTW (, ) is an articulated railcar for local transport made by Stadler Rail of Switzerland. The vehicles can be built for metre, standard and Iberian gauges and can use diesel or electric power supply. Variants have also been produced for use on rack railways. 551 units had been sold by 2011 and GTW vehicles are in use in Austria, France, Germany, Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Switzerland and the United States.
History
The first GTW railcars were metre-gauge electric vehicles for the Biel–Täuffelen–Ins-Bahn (BTI) and Chemins 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. In the same year much of the production was moved to the Stadler's factory in Siedlce, Poland. Because of the crashworthiness requirements, the GTW gained weight over time. The original concept in 1998 weighed per seat while in 2010 this had increased to per seat. This was higher than a FLIRT ET 22 from 2007, at 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 the WINK 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.
Technical description
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 one bogie, 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. Two three-car units with cabs at only one end and gangway connections at the other form a GTW 4/12. For operational flexibility up to four GTWs can be operated in 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. They have a low floor over most of their length, except over the bogies.
The modular design of the GTW means that the end modules can be delivered with screw couplings and buffers or with Scharfenberg couplers. All of the usual comforts to be expected in a modern local network railcar are provided, such as air conditioning, a multi-purpose area, vacuum toilets (in a washroom suitable for the disabled) and a passenger information system. 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 the wheel 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.
Propulsion
GTWs can be diesel–electric or electric-powered (via overhead wires or third rail). The first diesel powered units (for MThB, DB and HLB) had a MTU engine. Later units (for New Jersey Transit and Vinschgerbahn) use two MAN engines. Electric propulsion modules with 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.
Austria
In 1998 the Linzer Lokalbahn (LILO) placed an order for eight electric GTW trains. One train was a dual-voltage vehicle equipped to operate on LILO's 750 V DC electrification system and the ÖBB 15 kV AC system and the other seven were for DC electification only. In 2003 LILO ordrered another six dual-voltage trains and the remaining seven older trains were converted for dual-voltage operation. This allowed LILO services to run into Linz Hauptbahnhof using the 15 V AC electrification. Steiermärkischen Landesbahnen ordered six GTW railcars in 2009 for use on the Styria S-Bahn. Three are diesel and three electric but they use as many common parts as possible to reduce maintenance costs. Up to four vehicles can be operated in multiple, including mixed combinations of diesel and electric units. operates 13 diesel GTW 2/8 trains.
They entered service in 2010–2011 due to rising passenger numbers and to replace nearly 30-year old vehicles.
France
The Panoramique des Dômes rack railway in France uses four GTW 2/6 since opening in 2012.
Greece
In Greece, Hellenic Train operates two variants of the Stadler GTW 2/6 (known also incorrectly as railbus), owned by OSE. It is the main suburban DMU and there are two variants, for metre and the standard gauge. The metre-gauge variant (OSE class 4501) operates in the Suburban of Patras (Proastiakos) and the tourist line of Katakolo–Pyrgos–Ancient Olympia. The standard-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.
Italy
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: * ATR 100: Societá Automobilistica Dolomiti (SAD), Trentino Alto Adige * ATR 110: Ferrovie Udine Cividale (FUC), Friuli * ATR 110, ATR 120: Sistemi Territoriali (ST), Veneto * ATR 115, ATR 125: Ferrovie Nord Milano, Lombardia * ATR 200: Ferrovie del Sud Est (FSE), Puglia
Netherlands
In 2005 the multinational transport company Arriva ordered 43 GTW diesel railcars (16 GTW 2/6 and 27 GTW 2/8) for use on regional services in Groningen and Friesland. 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. towards Eemshaven 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 with Alstom LINT 41 trainsets. The electric GTW are used on the Dordrecht–Gorinchem–Geldermalsen line (operated by QBuzz 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. Connexxion used one electric GTW for the Barneveld Centrum–Amersfoort line. This GTW is transferred to the Vechtdallijnen from Arriva, Starting in December 2012 Connexxion also uses nine diesel GTWs for the Breng concession. Trainset 306 is named Gerrit Krol.
Slovakia
, Summer 2006 The Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko (ZSSK) use two classes of metre-gauge electric GTW on the Tatra Electric Railway. Fifteen Class 425.95 were delivered between 2000 and 2006. Five ZSSK Class 495.95 trains were delivered in 2021. These are capable of operating on both the Tatra Electric Railway and the Štrbské Pleso–Štrba rack railway. ZSSK also operate standard-gauge diesel GTWs (ZSSK Class 840) in the Poprad region. From December 2020 these trains are also used on the Bratislava—Komárno line.
Spain
The Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) purchased two diesel-powered, Iberian gauge trains for use on the Lleida–La Pobla Line. The trains are designated class 331 and entered service in 2016. A third GTW entered service in 2022. FGC also operates seven narrow-gauge trains for their rack railway lines. The first five trains were purchased in 2000 for the Montserrat Rack Railway and the remaining two were ordered in 2001 for the Vall 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.
Switzerland
The Swiss Federal Railways has seventeen GTW 2/8 (RABe 520) for use on the Seetal railway line. These are a special version which is only wide because the line runs alongside a road. 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. Various narrow gauge railways use GTWs: Chemins de fer du Jura, Biel–Täuffelen–Ins-Bahn, and the Transports Montreux–Vevey–Riviera.
New Jersey
light rail system in New Jersey * River Line *:New Jersey Transit uses 20 GTW diesel GTW vehicles on the River Line service between Trenton and Camden. The GTW offers a turning radius of only and is capable of street running, a capability used on the River Line in Camden. *GTW trains are also planned to operate on SNJLR's Glassboro–Camden Line, currently in development.
Austin, Texas
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (CapMetro) in Austin, Texas, uses ten Diesel rail vehicles of the type GTW 2/6 on its 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. 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.
Denton County, Texas
The Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA), announced on May 20, 2009, that it would purchase 11 GTW 2/6 articulated diesel multiple units (DMUs) for DCTA's corridor from Denton to Carrollton. This line connects with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Green Line which extends from the Pleasant Grove neighborhood in southeast Dallas to northern Carrollton. The contract includes an option for up to 25 additional GTWs.
East Bay, California
In 2014, the Bay Area Rapid Transit District Authority ordered eight GTW 2/6 DMUs for the eBART standard gauge tracks (the rapid transit system uses a wide gauge) to Antioch, California with two options to procure six more. The first trains were delivered by June 2017, with revenue service starting in May 2018.
See also
* Stadler FLIRT * Nippon Sharyo DMU
External links
* Stadler GTW * Stadler GTW Articulated Railcars Info & Images