Pininfarina Design on the Rails
Magyarul a pendolino.blog.hu-n.
The Italian Pininfarina is one of the World’s most famous designers; among several Ferrari cars, they have also styled the newest Ford Focus, Volvo C70 and Peugeot 1007 models. They don’t over-advertise it on their websites, however, that in the past two decades they worked on the aerodynamic modelling and shaping of plenty of rail vehicles, for factories like AnsaldoBreda and Bombardier. Some of them have already appeared in this blog, so it is high time for an overview.
In 1988, the first prototype of the Italian ETR 500 (Elettro Treno Rapido, rapid electric train as you might have guessed) was born, tested on the Florence-Rome line. The multi-current version was introduced in 2000, which also got a face-lift. And last year, the trains travelling above 300 km/h in scheduled service received a new red livery, and named Frecciarossa, red arrow.
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The red Re 460 locomotives were introduced as part of the Swiss programme Bahn 2000, hence their nickname Lok 2000. The engines wearing a huge logo of the federal railways entered service in 1991, and as of today they are not only a usual sight in Switzerland but also in Hong Kong.
Six years later, double-decker passenger cars were made to match these engines, dubbed IC 2000. They serve the non-tilting InterCity traffic at a regular top speed of 200 kph. A characteristic element of the trains is the control cab copying the locomotive design (see the similar Railjet), and the signature cow-like livery.
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For the Swiss Expo in 2000, the ICN tilting trains entered operation. Today, these trains cross the Alps substituting yet-to-arrive New Pendolino trains for Cisalpino, besides regular service on the Geneva-Zürich line through Olten and its variants.
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Leaving Switzerland finally; the arrival of the new Dutch high speed trains for NS Hispeed is still unclear, but the exterior design has been completed on time. The AnsaldoBreda V250 “Albatros” electric multiple unit (EMU) has been introduced at the InnoTrans rail fair (bottom right). Denmark is also waiting for Italian trains, the IC4 four-car diesel multiple units should have arrived some 6 years ago (bottom left). The “bullet train” design is a significant change compared to the look of previous rubber-faced IC3 trains.
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The design studio also works on trams and suburban trains, the pictures below show the Norwegian BM72 EMU in Oslo, the TAF Italian double-decker commuter train and the Sirio tram in Athens, respectively. The latter two share a similar round-faced look, while the side lines of the Norsk train reminds me of the new generation ETR 500s.
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On a slide show of their wind tunnel, the ETR 500, a Lok 2000 and a Channel Tunnel TransManche road vehicle transporter train is modelled.
Photos: Ambrosiana Pictures, Ciccio Pizzettarro, Blumensaadt, jprdgz and pretty much of my own.
