Belarusian Railway Buys 10 Stadler Broad-Gauge FLIRT Trains
Belarusian Railway, which operates the entire rail network in Belarus, has signed a contract with Stadler for ten FLIRT trains. The trains in Belarus run on the 1520mm Russian gauge.
Belarusian Railway and Stadler have signed a contract for the supply of ten new broad-gauge FLIRT trains for inter-regional passenger routes. The first trains in this order are to enter service in 2020.
Vladimir Balakhonov, Deputy Head of Belarusian Railway, and Philipp Brunner, CEO of Stadler Minsk, signed the contract for ten five-car electric multiple units on 17 January 2019. The broad-gauge trains will have a top speed of 160km/h. Stadler will deliver the first unit in 2020.
Vladimir Balakhonov said:
“Today’s event continues the development of a new format of passenger transportation, which the Belarusian Railway began to realise in 2010 in order to create an integrated transportation system in Belarus. It is aimed at effective satisfaction of the population’s needs in transport services. Moreover, it proves the perspective development of the Belarusian railway and its readiness to implement significant social projects that will provide the European level of transport service to the citizens and guests of our country.”
Philipp Brunner said:
“This order strengthens our presence in the Belarusian market and we are grateful to the Belarusian Railway for their trust and confidence in a high quality and reliability of our modern rolling stock.”
Broad-Gauge FLIRT Specifications
The seven-car intercity FLIRT trains that have been running between Minsk and Gomel – with Belarusian Railway as the operator – since August 2016 are the inspiration behind this order. They are 92.96m long and 3.48m wide. Each train offers 260 seats, of which 16 are in first class. The seats are noteworthy in that they have individually adjustable backs and armrests. The first-class passenger area is separated by an electrically operated glass wall. It is also equipped with call buttons so passengers can contact the conductor. When a passenger operates this button, the conductor receives an audio/visual signal. The first-class section on the new FLIRT trains will also come with plenty of space for luggage and a wardrobe area.
Passengers in second class meanwhile can enjoy comfortable seats with armrests in a three-plus-two configuration.
Furthermore, the new trains will feature a vending machine filled with a good array of choices. One of the cars will be multi-use. This is for passengers with prams, bicycles and large luggage items. All the windows on the new FLIRT trains will come with blinds that are adjustable according to the passenger’s needs.
Information about carriage and seat numbers as well as all operating instructions are available in braille as well for passengers who are blind or visually impaired. Furthermore, each train will have three toilets of which one is suitable for passengers with reduced mobility.
WiFi and Data
The EMUs will further feature wifi as well as a system that strengthens the GSM signal. In order to increase the effectiveness of the trains, they will transmit data about their location, the tracks and their energy consumption to the servers of the Belarusian Railway.
The trains in this order all conform to the technical norms of the Eurasian Union (technical regulation TR CU 001/2011). They will fit in seamlessly with the existing Belarusian FLIRT fleet, which currently numbers 18. They will run on the busiest electrified sections of the Belarusian railway network.
