RABDe 500

The RABDe 500 (often nicknamed ICN for Intercity-Neigezug, German for Intercity Tilting Train), is a Swiss high speed passenger train which was introduced in 2000, in time for Expo.02 held in western Switzerland in 2002. Its maximum speed is , which can be reached on the Mattstetten–Rothrist new line; the RABDe 500 uses the branch to Solothurn only; the ICNs reach 200 km/h in the new Gotthard Base Tunnel. The train sets were a joint development by Bombardier, Swiss Federal Railways and Alstom, with an aerodynamic body designed by Pininfarina, bogies and tilting mechanism designed by the then SIG, Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft.

Forty-four RABDe 500 trains with a total of 308 coaches were delivered to SBB-CFF-FFS between 1999 and 2005. The RABDe 500 often run with two complete compositions, each with seven carriages, both including a dining car. The outer four of the seven carriages are second class. All compartments have electric power supply sockets and mobile phone reception enhancers.

Delivery of class RABDe 500 was delayed by a lack of supplies from ADtranz. Nevertheless, all trainsets were operational for the national exposition Expo.02.
The RABDe 500 trains are operated by Swiss Federal Railways.

Services

RABDe 500 started commercial operation on 28 May 2000, with services from St. Gallen via Winterthur, Zürich and Biel/Bienne to Lausanne.

As of 2018 the RABDe 500 provide service on the following lines:
* IC5 St. Gallen – Winterthur – Zürich Airport – Zürich HB – Aarau (Sometimes) – Olten – Oensingen (Sometimes) – Solothurn – Grenchen Süd (Sometimes) – Biel/Bienne – Neuchâtel – Yverdon-les-Bains – (Lausanne, or Morges – Geneva Cornavin – Geneva Airport)
* IC51 Basel SBB – Laufen – Delémont – Moutier – Grenchen Nord – Biel/Bienne
* IC21 Basel SBB – Olten – (Luzern – Arth-Goldau – Flüelen – Bellinzona – Lugano – Chiasso (Sometimes), or Zürich HB)
* Bern – Olten – Aarau – Zürich HB – Zug – Erstfeld – Bellinzona


The trainsets are used on other lines as well, as IC (Intercity) or IR (Interregio) trains.

Technical Information

The RABDe 500 is an electrical multiple unit. The (body hung) motors as well as the transformers are located under the second class cars, which are the first two and the last two cars in each trainset. The first class cars and the restaurant car are non-motored, they carry pantograph and transformer. The centre car of each trainset has no traction equipment.
Design of the driver's cab as well as the electrical equipment is based on the design of the SBB Re 460 locomotives, using more modern GTO circuits for the traction inverters. The design of the inverters was used for the large class of Italian locomotive FS Class E.464.

The RABDe 500 can operate at up to when under ETCS level 2 supervision, and if the line is equipped with conventional signalling, negotiating curves about 10% faster than non tilting trains. The train was not primarily designed for speed, but to reduce journey time on winding lines such as Olten via Biel/Bienne to Lausanne/Geneva.

The 18 trainsets 500 000 – 500 017 were adapted for operation in the new Gotthard Base Tunnel in 2015/2016. Amongst other measures fire detection equipment was fitted.
New non tilting trains RABDe 501 will be used on the Gotthard line in the future, the RABDe 500 are to be used on lines with more curves.

All 44 trainsets are being refurbished between 2012 and 2019, an overhaul taking 25 days per train.

Table of similar trainsets worldwide

Expo.02

Train sets used for the Expo.02 national exposition in Switzerland carried a typewriter-font "permettre le futur" text on the outside of the train along with literary quotes from various prominent Swiss writers.

Naming

All forty-four RABDe 500 trains are named after famous Swiss scholars, artists, writers, politicians, engineers, and architects. Each RABDe 500 bears the portrait of its namesake, painted by Bernese painter Martin Fivian, in the first class coach No 3; in addition, plaques with short biographical information can be found at every entrance.

List of names:

See also

* Train categories in Europe
* List of high-speed trains

Notes

External links

sbb.ch

Bombardier Transportation AG - ICN Tilting Train
bombardier-transportation.ch

Alstom - Delivery of second series of Swiss intercity tilting trains
- alstom.com

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sbb-Cff-Ffs Rabde 500
Tilting trains
Multiple units of Switzerland
Train-related introductions in 2000
Articles containing video clips
High-speed trains