Traverso
Copper-colored trainset in front of a green hill
SOB No. 218 near Steinen with a Treno Gottardo service in 2021
Rows of red-upholstered seats
Second class interior
In service2019–present
ManufacturerStadler Rail
Number built24
Fleet numbers
  • 101/201–106/206
  • 107/207–117/217
  • 118/218–124/224
Capacity359
OwnersSüdostbahn

The SOB Traverso, designated RABe 526, is a passenger articulated trainset manufactured by Stadler Rail for Südostbahn, a railway company in Switzerland. It is a derivative of the Stadler FLIRT and began entering service in 2019. Südostbahn employs the Traversos on long-distance routes such as the Voralpen-Express and the Treno Gottardo services over the traditional Gotthard railway.

History

Südostbahn (SOB) ordered six eight-car trainsets from Stadler Rail in June 2016, as part of an CHF 170 million order that also included five four-car trainsets for use on local services.[1] Südostbahn ordered eleven more eight-car trainsets in December 2017 to operate two InterRegio routes, dubbed Treno Gottardo, that would use the traditional route over the Gotthard railway. Under an agreement with Swiss Federal Railways, SOB would assume the operation of these services with the December 2020 timetable change.[2] With SOB and SBB having made a further agreement for the joint operation of the Aare Linth between Bern and Chur, SOB ordered seven more trainsets in December 2018.[3] Altogether the three orders cost CHF 480 million.[4]

As planned, the first Traversos began operation in December 2019 on the Voralpen-Express. The trains were painted in a copper livery that according to SOB symbolized "the historical development of human society."[5] The Treno Gottardo trains, operating from Basel SBB and Zürich HB to Locarno, commenced in December 2020.[6] SOB began running Traversos on the Aare Linth in December 2021.[7]

Design

Each formation is composed of eight cars, with a normal seating capacity of 359. Altogether the formation is 150,200 millimetres (492 ft 9 in) long. Cars are 2,820 millimetres (9 ft 3 in) wide and stand 4,120 millimetres (13 ft 6 in) tall. The cars are designed for low floor boarding; doors are 600 millimetres (2 ft 0 in) from the ground.[8]

Traversos have both first- and second-class seating, 68 of the former and 291 of the latter. There are also 21 seats that can fold out for additional capacity.[9] Vending machines provide on-board catering.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Stadler baut neue Züge für Voralpen-Express" (PDF). Stadler Rail (in German). 27 June 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 May 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  2. ↑ 2018-01-02T11:39:35 (2 January 2018). "Gotthard Panoramic route EMUs ordered". Railway Gazette International. Retrieved 3 January 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ↑ "Stadler Lands Contract for 12 Additional FLIRT Traverso Trains for Switzerland". Railway-News. 13 December 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Stadler Traverso Enters Regular Passenger Service". Railway-News. 5 June 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  5. ↑ "SOB Traversos In Regular Service". Railvolution. 28 June 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  6. ↑ Gardner, Nicky (7 December 2020). "Six of the best new train journeys in Europe for 2021". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  7. ↑ Hummel, Peter (10 December 2021). "Die SOB fährt neu von Chur nach Bern - und setzt auf Komfort". St. Galler Tagblatt (in German). Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  8. ↑
  9. ↑ "SOB-Flotte". Schweizerische Südostbahn AG (SOB) (in German). Retrieved 6 January 2023.
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