Iris 320 is a modified
TGV
The TGV (french: Train à Grande Vitesse, "high-speed train"; previously french: TurboTrain à Grande Vitesse, label=none) is France's intercity high-speed rail service, operated by SNCF. SNCF worked on a high-speed rail network from 1966 to 19 ...
train operated by
SNCF International as a dedicated
track recording train for
high-speed railways.
The train can run at and consists of two
power car
In rail transport, the expression power car may refer to either of two distinct types of rail vehicle:
*a vehicle that propels, and commonly also controls, a passenger train, multiple unit or tram, often as the lead vehicle;
*a vehicle equipped ...
s and eight trailer coaches, providing a long laboratory.
It was converted from former
SNCF TGV Réseau
The SNCF TGV Réseau (TGV-R) trains were built by Alstom between 1992 and 1996. These TGV trainsets are based on the earlier TGV Atlantique.
The first Réseau (''"Network"'') sets entered service in 1993. Fifty dual-voltage trainsets were built ...
passenger train number 4530.
The train is primarily used for monitoring the whole of the French high-speed LGV network every 15 days.
In addition it surveys other main lines in France operating at above
and the
HSL 1
The HSL 1 (french: Ligne à Grande Vitesse (LGV) 1, nl, Hogesnelheidslijn 1, en, High-Speed Line 1) is a high-speed rail line which connects Brussels, Belgium, with the LGV Nord at the Belgium–France border. It is long with of dedicated hig ...
high-speed line in Belgium for
Infrabel
Infrabel is a Belgian government-owned public limited company. It builds, owns, maintains and upgrades the Belgian railway network, makes its capacity available to railway operator companies, and handles train traffic control.
Infrabel was creat ...
.
Once every two months, Iris 320 takes a survey of the
Channel Tunnel for
Eurotunnel
Getlink, formerly Groupe Eurotunnel, is a European public company based in Paris that manages and operates the infrastructure of the Channel Tunnel between England and France, operates the Eurotunnel Shuttle train service, and earns revenue o ...
(since December 2010) and of
High Speed 1 for
Network Rail
Network Rail Limited is the owner (via its subsidiary Network Rail Infrastructure Limited, which was known as Railtrack plc before 2002) and infrastructure manager of most of the railway network in Great Britain. Network Rail is an "arm's leng ...
(Channel Tunnel Rail Link) in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
(since 4/5 May 2011).
The cross-channel trips are diesel-hauled by
Eurotunnel Class 0001
The Eurotunnel Class 0001 Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives were built by Maschinenbau Kiel (manufacturers designation DE 1004) between 1991 and 1992. They are very similar to the NS 6400 Class. When operating in the United Kingdom, the locomo ...
locomotives and travel at .
See also
*
New Measurement Train
The New Measurement Train (NMT), also known as the ''Flying Banana'', is a specialised train which operates in the United Kingdom to assess the condition of track so that engineers can determine where to work. It is a specially converted InterCi ...
, a
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
departmental train operated by
Network Rail
Network Rail Limited is the owner (via its subsidiary Network Rail Infrastructure Limited, which was known as Railtrack plc before 2002) and infrastructure manager of most of the railway network in Great Britain. Network Rail is an "arm's leng ...
for track surveying, based on the
British Rail Class 43 HST
*
Doctor Yellow
is the nickname for the high-speed test trains that are used on the Japanese Shinkansen ("Bullet Train") dedicated express passenger train routes.
The trains have special equipment on board to monitor the condition of the track and overhead wire ...
, the
Japanese track surveying
Shinkansen
The , colloquially known in English as the bullet train, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan. Initially, it was built to connect distant Japanese regions with Tokyo, the capital, to aid economic growth and development. Beyond l ...
*
Comprehensive Inspection Trains, Chinese high speed departmental trains operated on track surveying duties
References
External links
Iris 320
Non-passenger multiple units
Electric multiple units with locomotive-like power cars
Track recording trains
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