THE European Union Agency for Railways (ERA), has granted an Authorisation to Place on the Market (Apom) for Talgo 230 locomotive-hauled coaches currently under construction for Danish State Railways (DSB). The authorisation permits use in both Denmark and Germany.
A total of 16 sets of coaches, plus 16 driving trailers, are on order from the Spanish manufacturer, with the first eight sets due to enter service shortly. The remaining coaches, including all of the driving trailers which will require separate authorisation, are expected to be delivered by 2027.
ERA has issued an Apom for the four different types of coaches that form each train: end car, PRM-accessible car and two types of intermediate cars. The authorisation confirms operation at a maximum speed of 230km/h and minimum curve radius of 135m, with end cars required at both ends of the train, and haulage restricted to locomotives fitted with the wire train bus (WTB) control system.
DSB already has a fleet of 200km/h multi-system Siemens Vectron locomotives to haul the new trains, designated EuroCity by DSB, which are to be deployed on Copenhagen/Aarhus - Hamburg services. DSB and German Rail (DB) have yet to announce when they will enter service.
“These new trains will enable DSB to create more international connections from Denmark to Europe in the future," says Jürgen Müller, executive vice-president of strategy and rolling stock at DSB.
ICE L deliveries start
Earlier this summer, DB received an Apom from ERA for its similar ICE L locomotive-hauled coaches, also currently under construction by Talgo, although this currently only permits operation within Germany.
Talgo is still working to extend the area of use to allow the new fleet to operate in the Netherlands, Austria and on the short stretch of line connecting Germany and Switzerland in Basle, as well as separate authorisation for the driving trailers.
Talgo has started delivering the first batch of 23 trains to DB, out of a total of 79 on order, with a train scheduled to be presented to the public in Berlin later this month, ahead of the trains entering revenue service at the timetable change in December.
With production running behind schedule, the first of the class 105 locomotives that Talgo is supplying to haul these trains is expected to be delivered next year. DB will use Vectron MS locomotives in the interim.
