[...]
History[edit]
Rather than choosing
electric multiple units (EMUs) such as
ICE 3 or
Shinkansen, ÖBB opted for locomotive-hauled
push-pull high-speed trains, which could be hauled by its existing fleet of
Taurus high-speed Siemens
EuroSprinter electric locomotives.
[7][note 3] On 9 February 2006, 9 months after receiving sealed bids, the board of directors of the Austrian Federal Railways awarded Siemens a contract to build 23 sets of 7-coach trains, with the Siemens design viewed to be the best as well as the least expensive.
[8][9] In September 2007 Siemens received an additional order for 44 more Railjet trains from the Austrian Federal Railways.
[10] The total value of the order was €798 million for 469 passenger carriages.
[11]
In September 2011 Siemens agreed the sale of sixteen Railjet trainsets to the Czech Railways (
České Dráhy); the sets should have been originally built for an uncompleted order for ÖBB,
[12] ČD's trainsets were to be hauled by
Škoda's
ČD Class 380 electric locomotives.
[13] In 2012 Czech Railways cancelled the order.
[14] A reduced order of seven viaggio comfort trainsets was agreed in August 2012.
[15]
In June 2014 ÖBB took up an option for a remaining nine railjets from Siemens, planned to be used on the
Westbahn route between Wien and Salzburg and will also be equipped to operate in Italy.
[16]
The first unit was produced on 15 September 2008, and put on display at
Graz, then
Innotrans in late September and then at
Salzburger Verkehrstage on 15 October.
[17] The first
railjet trains began test runs in late 2008.
[17][18]
A Railjet train set consists of seven individual coaches that are permanently coupled with airtight interconnections,[
citation needed] but with buffer and hook couplings on the outer ends of the set of coaches suitable for
buffer and chain screw coupling
[19] Two complete train sets with two locomotives can be run as a pair giving a train of fourteen carriages.
[20] The coach furthest from the locomotive acts as a
control car. The number of carriages per train can be extended up to ten in a single train unit.
[21]
The
industrial design company Spirit Design was contracted to provide an exterior and interior design,
[22] three colour schemes were presented and the livery to be used was decided by poll conducted by the Austrian tabloid
Kronen Zeitung.
[23] In 2009 the railjet design was given a
Red Dotaward.
[24][25]
Traction[edit]
See also:
EuroSprinter
The Railjet vehicles are designed to be propelled in push-pull mode by standard electric locomotives, specifically the
Siemens ES64U2 and ES64U4 (ÖBB Class 1116 and 1216
Taurus) already owned by the Austrian Federal Railways, but can also be hauled by any other electric or diesel locomotives.
[3]
The first twenty three ÖBB Class 1116 locomotives used in Railjet service were given a number of modifications: a third pantograph and the relevant train safety systems for operating outside Austria (Hungary, Switzerland and the Czech Republic) and a silver-colored side skirt below the floor level, giving a more streamlined appearance. A second set of twenty locomotives were equipped only for work in Austria and Germany and did not receive the side panels or extra systems for international working.
[23]
[...]
.jpg){kind=spacer}