IMAGES: SBB unveils first of fully renovated InterCity fleet
Swiss rail operator SBB unveiled its first completely renovated tilting InterCity (ICN) yesterday, one of 44 trains set to be completely modernised by 2031. The ICN trains originally entered service in 2001, but after each having covered almost 8 million kilometres, they are now being fitted with upgrades that will extend their life by another 20 years. The upgrades are set to cost SBB some 534 million euros, with the new prototype expected to hit the tracks this year.
A slew of top SBB representatives gathered at SBB’s renovation workshops in Yverdon-les-Bains on Thursday to present the first of the 44 renovated ICN trains, nicknamed the ‘Expo 02’. Decked out with a new lighting concept, upholstery, seat padding, carpets, and new side tables, the renovations to the interior are vast. The restaurant carriage has been upgraded, along with the family and business areas.
Meanwhile, the prototype has been given a new exterior paint job, while various components such as its bogies and engines have been completely rebuilt and all corrosion deposits removed. In essence, from inside to out, the new train has been completely transformed.
Milestone in 10 year programme
The modernisation work on the 44 trains – set to cost some 500 million Swiss francs (€534m) – began in 2021 and is expected to continue until 2031, with around 150 employees from the Yverdon-les-Bains workshops working on the programme.
The prototype of the first modernised ICN is expected to enter commercial service again this year after a series of tests, and the second prototype is expected to leave Yverdon-les-Bains in early 2025. The following trains will be renewed in series, at a rate of around seven to eight trains per year. SBB is investing just over 500 million francs in this modernisation.
SBB investing 1bn a year
The renovations are part of SBB plans to invest around one billion francs (€1.067bn) a year in new and modernised trains over the next few years. The Swiss company says this will be the basis of its modern railway. In 2019, it began the complete renovation of its IC2000s, which are now ready to run on the Swiss long-distance network for the next 20 years.
At the same time, its 62 Duplex TGLs, which SBB introduced in 2018 and make up the largest fleet in SBB long-distance traffic, are also being eyed for renovations. SBB says it is currently developing an initial prototype for an optimised bogie for the train in collaboration with Alstom, and will decide whether all the vehicles will be converted after the test phase.
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