Modernising of the Arlanda Express
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lay R 213 obalka tisk_Lay R 408 1.5.13 18:37 Page 1 The Professional Two-Monthly Magazine Of Rail Transport Worldwide Volume 13 No. 2/13 € 10.00 âD Railjet News OUIGO Initial Results China To Europe Freights Wheelset Torsion Oscillations Arlanda Express EMU Modernisation lay R 213 tisk 1 p23-46_Lay R 408 3.5.13 13:27 Page 30 ModernisingModernising OfOf TheThe ArlandaArlanda ExpressExpress In 2010/11 the seven Class X3 EMUs used on the service linking Stockholm with Arlanda airport were subjected to a major refurbishment, which also resulted in a 20 % increase in seating capacity. The operator is endeavouring to win more passengers and thus to ease local road congestion and resultant contamination. Planning for a rail link to Arlanda been developed, and in particular the An Arlanda Express X3 EMU, wearing the new livery, running at full speed airport began in the early 1980s, and fact that A-Train was able to set fares between Stockholm and the airport. in 1993 the Swedish Government as high as it wished, resulting in patro- Photo: Patric Johansson invited tenders for a public-private nage levels which were too low to make partnership to build the 19 km double the service economically self-supporting russet red and grey, with yellow grab- the old seats, a new colour scheme track branch from the Stockholm to (the initial target specified in the late rails. Tare weight was initially 193 t. on some of the bulkhead walls and Uppsala, Gävle and Sundsvall line, the 1990s was 5.1 million passengers per The first Arlanda Express train new carpet on some parts of the floor. Ostkustbana. In August the following annum by 2005). The Swedish Parlia- arrived in Sweden in June 1998, more Three colour schemes, green, orange year the contract was awarded to a con- ment reached similar conclusions in than one year before the start of regular and blue, were used, the design being sortium formed of the Nordic Construc- a motion passed on 7 October 2008, service. There was thus plenty of time realised by those who designed the tion Company, Siab, Vattenfall, GEC also noting that A-Train was free to for an exhaustive series of test runs. fashion label of the former Swedish Alsthom and Mowlem. Construction charge as much as it wished to other A very extensive programme was com- tennis player Björn Borg, and with the began in 1995 and A-Train was created train operators wanting to divert their pleted before the trains could enter same name and motif (a tennis ball on as the operating company, its conces- services via the airport line. service. No fewer than three govern- the antimacassars). sion running until 2040. Inauguration In that year Arlanda Express car- ment agencies were present to moni- of the line, which forms a loop leaving ried 25 % of all passengers travelling tor the test runs: the Swedish National Framtidståg the Ostkustbana at Myrbacken and between Stockholm and the airport, and Electrical Safety Board, the Swedish rejoining it at Skavstaby, took place on 9 % of all airport employees (the latter, National Rail Authority and the Swedish In 2008 A-Train launched its 25 November 1999. Three stations are around 16,000 of them, enjoy free car Railway Inspectorate. After an exhaus- Framtidståg (Future Train) project, bud- provided, one at Sky City, on the loop, parking at Arlanda). Although the state tive year-long trial, the first Arlanda geted at 100 million SEK (10.6 million and two on the short branch serving held an option to purchase operating Express EMUs entered service in EUR). This was prompted by the need Terminal 5, and Terminals 2, 3 and 4. rights from A-Train in 2010, and thus November 1999. to encourage more airline passengers All the airport stations are subterranean, reduce fares and line access charges, In 2006 the X3s were subjected to switch to rail travel between Arlanda the main tunnel (excluding the branch) it was reckoned that this would be to an interior refurbishment pro- and the capital. Such is the volume of being 5,101 m long. Electrification is the a waste of public money, since in any gramme, this including new fabrics on road traffic to and from the airport that standard Swedish 15 kV AC 16.7 Hz. case in 2040 the line would revert to A-Train holds the monopoly for car- state ownership, without any charges rying passengers between Stockholm involved. Moreover, early in 2010 Central and the airport, whilst other Stockholm residents using the service operators can only serve Sky City, and voted Arlanda Express the best com- are not allowed to carry passengers pany in the travel industry. between there and the capital. A-Train services are quarter-hourly, with five The Trains departures per hour at peaks, journey time being around 20 minutes. The A batch of seven four-car 200 km/h standard single fare is 260 SEK Class X3 EMUs was ordered from GEC (29.7 EUR), though with various dis- Alsthom’s Birmingham works in 1998/9. counts (for instance, the return fare for These 93.4 m long, 3.06 m wide, air pensioners and youngsters up to 25 conditioned trains, which have a Bo’Bo’ + years of age is 120 SEK, and there is 2’2’ + 2’2’ + Bo’Bo’ axle arrangement, a weekend two-for-the-price-of-one are rated at 2,240 kW (each three- offer). phase asynchronous traction motor is Since 2004 A-Train has been owed rated at 280 kW) and Onix control and by the Australia-based Macquarie IGBT converters. They were originally Group, which paid 70 million SEK for fitted with single-class 2 + 2 seating, the company and also assumed respon- in rows, for 190 passengers. Luggage sibility for a debt of 330 million SEK stacks were provided, together with The lounge car is fitted with row of fixed seats facing the windows, (35 million EUR). The same year the wheelchair spaces and a wheelchair- under which there are shelves for passengers’ refreshments. The Service Swedish National Audit Office criticised accessible WC cubicle. The interior Point is on the right, in the background. the way the Arlandabana project had colour scheme was predominantly Photo: Björn Fredriksson 30 lay R 213 tisk 1 p23-46_Lay R 408 3.5.13 13:27 Page 31 Two views of the interior of the Framtidståg: note the thin seat shells, the wood trim on the luggage racks and window frames, and the spot lighting. Photos: Patric Johansson the CO2 limits established for the area the vacuum-formed plastic seat backs, tem, which offers a more subdued illu- cars. This was wheelchair-accessible, around the latter have now been slightly shell-shaped to offer passen- mination and which is controlled by but has been replaced by a new one, reached, and should they be exceeded gers greater privacy, are thinner than GPS. When the train is on the move somewhat larger. the Swedish Government can order the those originally fitted on the trains. the lighting level is reduced, coming to The exterior livery has been number of aircraft arrivals and depar- Space is provided for small items full strength at station stops. The degree revised, with the yellow on the cab ends tures to be reduced. In 2008 Arlanda of luggage to be stowed under the of illumination can also be adjusted being extended diagonally further back Express was used by around 3.2 mil- seats, and the armrests, which can manually by train staff. New carpets have to roof level, and white replacing grey, lion passengers (up by 25 % on the be raised and lowered, are made of been laid, floor and ceiling acoustic the styling giving an impression of 2005 figure), while the airport handled brushed steel. There is a cup holder insulation has been enhanced. The win- speed. „Arlanda Express“ is emblazoned some 18.1 million passengers (7 % between each seat, together with dows are now fitted with sun blinds, on the sides of the cars in gold and sil- more than in 2005). The train would a socket for powering personal elec- and these can be individually adjusted ver letters. On the entrance doors is appear to be gaining ground, and in tronic equipment. More seating space by passengers. the Good Environmental Choice sym- response to this the operator decided has been gained through the elimina- The video screens, used for both bol. The pantograph has been painted to increase seating capacity by 20 %, tion of the original luggage stacks, si- information and advertising purposes, green, again to emphasise the envi- while not compromising on comfort tuated adjacent to each entrance are now mounted on the glazed interior ronmentally friendly aspects of electric standards, since the objective is to win vestibule, replaced by conventional bulkheads. The ceilings of the entrance traction. as many passengers as possible. overhead longitudinal racks with trans- vestibules are decorated with a leaf In early 2010 the first of the X3s parent bases, the latter enabling pas- motif pattern. Updating The Traction was sent to the Euromaint Rail works sengers to keep an eye on their perso- One of the intermediate cars now Equipment in Malmö for its second refurbish- nal belongings. Spaces designated for has a lounge area. There are shelves ment, and was outshopped in late wheelchair harness points or prams on each sidewall, large enough to As part of its efforts to maintain its June 2010. The seventh X3 returned are fitted with tip-up seats. The original accommodate not only a cup or glass, high punctuality levels (as high as 99 %), to service in 2011.