Eurostar 320

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Eurostar 320 / British Class 374
Eurostar 320 on the High Speed ​​One
Eurostar 320 on the High Speed ​​One
Number: 10 + 7
Manufacturer: Siemens Mobility
Year of construction (s): 2011 to 2017 (planned)
Axis formula : 2 × Bo'Bo '+ 2'2' + Bo'Bo '+ 2'2' +
2'2 '+ Bo'Bo' + 2'2 '+ Bo'Bo'
Gauge : 1435 mm
Length over coupling: 398.92 m
Trunnion Distance: 17,375 mm
Bogie axle base: 2,500 mm
Payload: 124.624 t
Service mass: 921.093 t without passengers
Wheel set mass : up to 17.31 t
Top speed: 320 km / h alternating current
220 km / h direct current
Hourly output : Maximum power:
20,250 kW 25 kV
7,950 kW 1.5 kV France
7,200 kW 3 kV
6,000 kW 1.5 kV
Continuous output : 16,000 kW 25 kV
Braking delay: up to 1.4 m / s²
Wheel diameter: at least 830 mm
Power system : 25 kV 50 Hz ~
1.5 kV =
3 kV =
Power transmission: Overhead line, 8 pantographs
Number of traction motors: 32
Brake: Electromotive brake , resistance brake , compressed air brake , spring-loaded brake
Train control : ETCS , KVB , TVM , RPS, TBL , Memor , ATB
Coupling type: Scharfenberg coupling
Seats: 894

As Euro Star 320 (also Euro Star e320 , Euro Star E320 or British class 374 ), a series of high-speed trains of the Euro Star Group referred that since November 2015 operation and older Euro Tunnel trains TGV (name British class 373 added). The 17 trains are designed for a top speed of 320 km / h and form the fifth variant of the Velaro platform from the manufacturer Siemens Mobility .

With the trains, Eurostar wants to serve new destinations on the European continent from London . Therefore, in addition to being approved for Belgium , France and Great Britain , the trains will also be approved for other European routes, especially in the Netherlands . Approval in Germany was not originally planned, as Deutsche Bahn intended to offer connections from Germany through the Eurotunnel itself. According to press reports from 2014, Deutsche Bahn is said to have discontinued this project, instead Eurostar trains are to run via Cologne to Frankfurt am Main .

Concept and technology

The almost 400 meters long trains will be made up of two end and 14 intermediate cars formed and are continuously accessible. They carry four pantographs for traction power systems 1.5 and 3 kV - DC and for 25 kV AC . Equipment for the 15 kV alternating current used in Germany, including four additional pantographs, is provided as an option.

The multiple units have a distributed drive in accordance with the Velaro platform, with several axles being driven across the train.  A special coupling for easy separation of the train is attached to the car transition between the driven cars 8 and 9, which is continuous for passengers . Each half is self-sufficient, so that in the event of a fault in one half, the other remains operational. However, there will be no journeys with eight-car half-trains.

The previous Eurostar trains (British class 373) were powered by power cars .

Furnishing

The multiple units have a capacity of around 900 seats and reach a top speed of 320 km / h. Due to the safety requirements of the Channel Tunnel , the trains must remain operational for 30 minutes in the event of a fire, which is why they are equipped with fire extinguishers and fire doors.

history

Model of a Eurostar 320 at its launch in London's Hyde Park on October 7, 2010
Eurostar 4002 during its transfer in Mönchengladbach

At a press conference on October 7, 2010 in London, Eurostar announced that it was placing an order with Siemens for ten new high-speed trains with a top speed of 320 km / h. The investment of 700 million British pounds , which also includes modernization measures on the existing fleet, is to be financed through own funds and banks. The order volume for the new trains was later put at around 700 million euros. In addition, the renovation of the Temple Mills depot in London for future maintenance of the Eurostar 320 is part of the contract.

The transport company Eurostar Group , based in London, consisting of a community of French ( SNCF with a majority stake of 55%), British and Belgian railway companies, previously only operated TGV vehicles from the French manufacturer Alstom . The announcement that the German Siemens group was to receive the order for future trains caused political waves. Alstom immediately took legal action against the business.

An application by Alstom for an injunction against the award in the High Court of Justice was dismissed on October 29, 2010 after a four-day hearing. The company argued that its rights to equal treatment, transparency and non-discrimination had been violated. In the proceedings, Eurostar stated that Siemens' offer was better with 98 out of 100 possible points than Alstom's (74 points). The Alstom offer lacked the necessary detailing in all areas.

The signing of the contract between Eurostar and Siemens was delayed because Alstom filed a lawsuit against Eurostar's procurement procedure in the High Court on November 10, 2010. At a preliminary hearing on the same day, the court ordered the disclosure of the documents on which the selection process was based within three weeks. Motions by Siemens and Eurostar directed against this publication were rejected. In July 2011, the award to Siemens was confirmed by the court. Alstom continued to pursue claims for damages until April 2012, but ended the legal battle after the company received a major order for new Euroduplex trains from the French SNCF .

On December 3, 2010, the contract for the delivery of ten high-speed trains was signed by Eurostar boss Nicolas Petrovic and the then CEO of Siemens AG, Peter Löscher , in London. Shortly before the contract with Siemens was signed, the two representatives of the French state railway resigned from the Eurostar supervisory board.

In order to fulfill the contract, it was assumed that the revised rules for the use of distributed traction in the Eurotunnel would be adapted in good time. On March 21, 2011, the European Railway Agency (ERA) issued a positive opinion on the distributed drive system used in the Velaro. In June 2011, the British-French Tunnel Safety Commission IGC (Intergovernmental Commission) approved the statements of the ERA in a fundamental decision.

In October 2011, production of the first shell components began at the Siemens plant in Krefeld-Uerdingen . From March 20, 2013, a complete, 16-part multiple unit was tested in the Wegberg-Wildenrath test center. The first multiple unit had already arrived there for tests in September 2012.

In July 2013, the first multiple unit completed test drives in Belgium. Until December 2013, a multiple unit was in France for test drives. In November 2014, test drives were carried out in the Eurotunnel and on the High Speed ​​One for approval . Up to 300 km / h were reached there. On April 28, 2016, a multiple unit completed its first test drives in the Netherlands.

On November 13, 2014, Eurostar announced that it would order seven more multiple units from Siemens. The delivery of these trains was completed in March 2018.

On October 16, 2015, the French safety authority issued the authorization for commercial use as a complete unit on the national rail network. The approval of the Belgian authority SSICF took place at the beginning of January 2016. By the beginning of May 2016 the first test drives on the Dutch route network followed.

business

The trains were originally supposed to go into operation from 2014, but the delivery date has been postponed several times. According to its own information, Siemens underestimated the complexity of the order. As a precaution, the company set up provisions for the order (as of April 2013). On November 12, 2014, the first train of the series was presented by the customer Eurostar in London and the start of passenger service was announced for autumn 2015. On November 20, 2015, a train was first used commercially on the route to Paris; in May 2016 the first went to Brussels on schedule. All ten trains of the first series should have been delivered by May 2016, but in April 2016 the ten multiple units of the first series had not yet been completely delivered. In March 2018, the seven trains of the second series were also in operation.

With the trains, the number of destinations in the Eurostar network has been expanded. In September 2013, Eurostar announced that it would operate a connection between London and Amsterdam with the new E320 trains from December 2016 . Since April 2018, the Eurostar 320 has been running twice a day with stops in Antwerp , Rotterdam and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol . According to a press report from 2014, trains should run later to Frankfurt am Main.

literature

  • e320 on test rounds . In: Eisenbahn Modellbahn Magazin . No. 2 , 2013, p. 24-25 .

Web links

Commons : British Class 374  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. a b c d e f g h Eurostar to buy Velaro trains, for operation to Amsterdam . In: Today's Railways Europe , Issue 179 (December 2010), ISSN  1354-2753 , pp. 6-8.
  2. a b c Gernot Zielonka: Eurostar orders more Siemens high-speed trains. (No longer available online.) DMM The Mobility Manager, November 13, 2014, archived from the original on November 29, 2014 ; accessed on November 14, 2014 .
  3. a b Luke Upton: A sneak peek on-board the new Eurostar train; the e320. . October 26, 2015.
  4. ^ Jon Worth: The future of channel tunnel long distance passenger railway services. June 15, 2013. Retrieved November 20, 2013 .
  5. a b New and renewed Eurostar trains . In: Swiss Railway Review . No. 1 , 2016, ISSN  1022-7113 , p. 33 .
  6. Dirk Asendorpf : Without admission . In: The time . No. 24 , June 6, 2013, ISSN  0044-2070 , p. 38 ( online ).
  7. a b Deutsche Bahn is giving up London plans for the time being ( Memento from November 6, 2014 in the Internet Archive ). dmm.travel , notification dated February 20, 2014.
  8. ^ New Eurostar Fleet ( Memento from March 14, 2014 in the Internet Archive ). Document on the pages of eurostar4agents.com dated October 7, 2010, accessed on October 7, 2010.
  9. ^ Railway Gazette: Eurostar picks velaro to expand fleet . In: Railway Gazette (online edition), October 1, 2010.
  10. e320 on test rounds . In: Eisenbahn Modellbahn Magazin . No. 2 , 2013, p. 24-25 .
  11. ^ A b Caspar Busse, Daniela Kuhr: The million dollar treasure of Wildenrath . In: Süddeutsche Zeitung . April 23, 2013, ISSN  0174-4917 , p. 21 (similar version online ).
  12. Peter Kirnich, Axel Veiel: Alstom is suing Siemens trains . In: Frankfurter Rundschau , October 20, 2010.
  13. a b c Eurostar train order - Alstom's complaint dismissed . In: Modern Railways . Vol. 67, No. 747, 2010, ISSN  0026-8356 , p. 30 f.
  14. a b Siemens: Trains for the Eurotunnel are safe . In: Handelsblatt , No. 208, October 27, 2010, p. 27.
  15. ^ Dan Milmo: Siemens keeps € 600m Eurostar order after Alstom legal challenge fails. In: Guardian.co.uk. The Guardian , July 14, 2011, accessed April 3, 2013 .
  16. Eurostar order: Alstom gives up the fight against Siemens in: Handelsblatt , April 2, 2012
  17. ^ Districts: Siemens and Eurostar sign train order . Reuters report dated December 3, 2010
  18. New Eurostar trains come from Uerdingen . Rheinische Post , December 20, 2010, last viewed on September 19, 2019.
  19. Without a source
  20. European Railway Agency (ed.): TECHNICAL OPINION OF THE EUROPEAN RAILWAY AGENCY REGARDING: THE SAFETY RELATED ASPECTS OF THE IGC'S CONCLUSIONS AS SET OUT IN ITS LETTER OF 31 MARCH 2010 (PDF; 759 kB). Document dated March 21, 2011.
  21. Jens Hartmann, Gesche Wüpper: Siemens starts building the Eurostar trains . In: Die Welt , July 2, 2011.
  22. Juliet Mann: The tidy business of trains - but messy business of railways. (No longer available online.) CNN , Nov 28, 2011, archived from the original on Dec. 24, 2013 ; accessed on January 27, 2016 .
  23. Wolfgang Scheer, Jaromír Pernička: First Complete Eurostar Velaro on Test . In: Railvolution . No. 2 , 2013, p. 5 .
  24. ^ The Innotrans 2012 in Berlin . In: Eisenbahn-Revue International , Issue 11/2012, ISSN  1421-2811 , pp. 540-549.
  25. ^ DB-Velaro in Belgium . In: Eisenbahn-Revue International . No. 11 , 2013, ISSN  1421-2811 , p. 584 .
  26. International reports . In: Eisenbahn-Revue International . No. 2 , 2014, ISSN  1421-2811 , p. 76 f .
  27. a b Heading north . In: Railway Gazette International . tape 172 , no. 6 , 2016, ISSN  0373-5346 , p. 21 .
  28. a b c Eurostar e320 high-speed trains for Eurostar International Limited . Siemens AG. 4th April 2018.
  29. Approval for Eurostar Velaro. Eurailpress, November 3, 2015, accessed November 3, 2015 .
  30. Belga News: Les nouveaux trains Eurostar autorisés à circuler en Belgique ( fr ) In: RTBF Info . RTBF . January 15, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  31. SSICF is the abbreviation for Service de Sécurité et d'Interopérabilité des Chemins de Fer .
  32. Velaro under test in the Netherlands. In: globalrailnews.com. May 4, 2016, accessed May 4, 2016 .
  33. Richard Clinnick: It's a knockout! In: RAILmagazine. January 24, 2018, accessed September 19, 2019 .
  34. New Eurostar connection starts in 2016. (No longer available online.) DMM Der Mobility Manager, September 30, 2013, archived from the original on March 14, 2014 ; Retrieved November 20, 2013 .
  35. Keith Fender: Eurostar to Amsterdam in 2016. (No longer available online.) November 4, 2013, archived from the original on March 14, 2014 ; Retrieved November 20, 2013 .