IC4
Encyclopedia
The IC4 is an inter-city train built by Italian AnsaldoBreda for the trans-Great Belt
routes of Danske Statsbaner
(DSB), Denmark
's national railway operator. Under DSB's ‘Good trains for everyone’ plan ('Gode tog til alle'), the intent of the IC4 project was to replace several types of outdated rolling stock. However, various delays have turned the project into a major political issue.
The IC4 units were originally scheduled to enter DSB's Intercity service in 2003. On 25 June 2007, one IC4 unit (trainset no. 4) entered regional service between Århus and Aalborg. On 27 August 2007 another test train entered regional passenger service between Århus and Fredericia
in eastern Jutland
. Two further units entered regional service during the autumn of 2007. By the end of 2007, DSB and AnsaldoBreda were to have decided when the IC4 would be ready for Intercity and IntercityLyn (express inter-city) services. This, however, required the approval of the Danish National Rail Authority.
The IC4's first long-distance run, from Aalborg
to Copenhagen
, took place on August 7, 2008, while the train finally received approval for regular usage with multiple connected trainsets on November 9, 2010.
’ direct injection system, giving a total power output of 2240 kW (3004 bhp
/3045 metric hp
). The engines are 20 litre V8 from Iveco
. The top train speed of 200 km/h (125 mph). Each train set consists of four articulated car
s with a total length of 86 meters (282 feet), and is able to seat 208 people. Built of light aluminium alloy
s, each trainset weighs 140-160 tonnes.
Up to four trainsets can be coupled together into a single train. However, problems exist with this configuration, so it was decided in the first instance to have the IC4 approved using one trainset only. Approval for multi-unit configurations will be sought later. A single trainset is too short for efficient long-distance operations, therefore it will mainly be used in regional services to begin with.
(famous for designing Ferrari cars), stressing Italian chic and curved lines. On the outside, the bullet-shaped extremities at each end of the trainset—familiar from high speed trains throughout Europe—represent a break with the design of the IC3
train, whose passengers are able to walk between trainsets. The train interior features natural materials in line with Scandinavian design tradition, an audio/video information system with seat reservation displays, and a lounge area.
. However, service was suspended at the end of February 2008 because of problems with exhaust fumes. There have been many faults that have not really prevented the train from being used, but still have not been acceptable, for example false warnings, and various other computer related problems.
On 7 August 2008 train no. 13 ran from Aarhus
H. to Copenhagen
H. and back with passengers. On the 21st of May 2009, it became clear the ultimatum had been met with 15 trains delivered , although a subclause stating at last one trainset should be tested and approved for coupling to other units had at the time not been fulfilled.
DSB suffers from a lack of trainsets and quality problems with the existing ones, since the existing IC3
s are old and should have been replaced. Ordering new IC3s would be 'expensive and technically challenging', according to DSB. DSB has together with Deutsche Bahn
started using German tilting ICE-TD
diesel trains to and from Germany. This relieved the situation somewhat even if these trains are expensive and the adaptation for Danish traffic was also costly. In October 2008, DSB also ordered 45 coaches worth of new double-decker coaches from Bombardier
, to be delivered from the end of 2009.
From August 2009, DSB has been running 17 daily scheduled trains using the IC4. They use only single IC4 sets, not multiply connected ones, which limits their usability since they can't be used during rush hour because longer trains are needed then. On November 9, 2010, DSB finally after a seven year delay completed certification of multiple connected IC4 trainsets. They are scheduled to enter service in January 2011. At the end of April 2011, DSB's director Frank Olesen stated that further economic sanctions against AnsaldoBreda were likely to be imposed as a result of continuing problems in the quality of the trains delivered. This has led to the need for the trains to be upgraded to Danish standards at DSB's own cost at its facility in Randers
. Eighteen IC4 trains have been approved for use, nine of them now in daily service.
In November 2011 two IC4 trains each failed to stop at stop signals. This caused the authorities to ban the IC4 from running until the problems had been investigated. The investigations are currently ongoing.
Great Belt Fixed Link
The Great Belt Fixed Link is the fixed link between the Danish islands of Zealand and Funen across the Great Belt. It consists of a road suspension bridge and railway tunnel between Zealand and the island Sprogø, as well as a box girder bridge between Sprogø and Funen...
routes of Danske Statsbaner
Danske Statsbaner
DSB, an abbreviation of Danske Statsbaner , is the largest Danish train operating company, and the largest in Scandinavia. While DSB is responsible for passenger train operation on most of the Danish railways, goods transport and railway maintenance are outside its scope...
(DSB), Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
's national railway operator. Under DSB's ‘Good trains for everyone’ plan ('Gode tog til alle'), the intent of the IC4 project was to replace several types of outdated rolling stock. However, various delays have turned the project into a major political issue.
The IC4 units were originally scheduled to enter DSB's Intercity service in 2003. On 25 June 2007, one IC4 unit (trainset no. 4) entered regional service between Århus and Aalborg. On 27 August 2007 another test train entered regional passenger service between Århus and Fredericia
Fredericia
Fredericia is a town located in Fredericia municipality in the eastern part of the Jutland peninsula in Denmark, in a sub-region known locally as Trekanten, or The Triangle...
in eastern Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
. Two further units entered regional service during the autumn of 2007. By the end of 2007, DSB and AnsaldoBreda were to have decided when the IC4 would be ready for Intercity and IntercityLyn (express inter-city) services. This, however, required the approval of the Danish National Rail Authority.
The IC4's first long-distance run, from Aalborg
Aalborg
-Transport:On the north side of the Limfjord is Nørresundby, which is connected to Aalborg by a road bridge Limfjordsbroen, an iron railway bridge Jernbanebroen over Limfjorden, as well as a motorway tunnel running under the Limfjord Limfjordstunnelen....
to Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, took place on August 7, 2008, while the train finally received approval for regular usage with multiple connected trainsets on November 9, 2010.
Equipment and specifications
The train is powered by four low-emission diesel engines with a ‘common railCommon rail
Common rail direct fuel injection is a modern variant of direct fuel injection system for petrol and diesel engines.On diesel engines, it features a high-pressure fuel rail feeding individual solenoid valves, as opposed to low-pressure fuel pump feeding unit injectors...
’ direct injection system, giving a total power output of 2240 kW (3004 bhp
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
/3045 metric hp
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
). The engines are 20 litre V8 from Iveco
Iveco
Iveco, an acronym for Industrial Vehicle Corporation, originally an alliance of European commercial vehicle manufacturers such as Fiat , Unic and Magirus. Iveco is now an Italian truck, bus, and diesel engine manufacturer, based in Turin...
. The top train speed of 200 km/h (125 mph). Each train set consists of four articulated car
Articulated car
Articulated cars are rail vehicles which are consist of a number of smaller, lighter cars which are semi-permanently attached to each other and which share common trucks. They are much longer than single passenger cars, and on the TGV Réseau, for example, 8 cars are joined this way...
s with a total length of 86 meters (282 feet), and is able to seat 208 people. Built of light aluminium alloy
Aluminium alloy
Aluminium alloys are alloys in which aluminium is the predominant metal. The typical alloying elements are copper, magnesium, manganese, silicon and zinc. There are two principal classifications, namely casting alloys and wrought alloys, both of which are further subdivided into the categories...
s, each trainset weighs 140-160 tonnes.
Up to four trainsets can be coupled together into a single train. However, problems exist with this configuration, so it was decided in the first instance to have the IC4 approved using one trainset only. Approval for multi-unit configurations will be sought later. A single trainset is too short for efficient long-distance operations, therefore it will mainly be used in regional services to begin with.
Design
The design of the train is the outcome of cooperation between DSB’s own designers, with an emphasis on Nordic minimalist design, and the Italian design company PininfarinaPininfarina
Pininfarina S.p.A. is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder in Cambiano, Italy.Founded as Società anonima Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in 1930 by automobile designer and builder Battista "Pinin" Farina, Pininfarina has been employed by a wide variety of high-end automobile manufacturers,...
(famous for designing Ferrari cars), stressing Italian chic and curved lines. On the outside, the bullet-shaped extremities at each end of the trainset—familiar from high speed trains throughout Europe—represent a break with the design of the IC3
IC3
The IC3 is a Danish-built high-comfort medium/long distance diesel multiple-unit train. The sets were built by ABB Scandia . This train model has been operating in Denmark and Sweden since 1989...
train, whose passengers are able to walk between trainsets. The train interior features natural materials in line with Scandinavian design tradition, an audio/video information system with seat reservation displays, and a lounge area.
Controversy
The IC4 train has become a contentious issue in Danish politics, mainly because of the long delays in getting delivery of the trains from Ansaldo Breda. The Danish minister of Traffic and Energy is routinely required to submit progress updates to parliament, and DSB’s choice of a heavily-customised train is often criticised as being the major reason for the delays. The expense involved in lengthening the platforms of several stations along the IC4 routes is the source of much additional criticism. In recent news, it was revealed that the trains appear to be working properly, but that the documentation requirements of the safety authorities are preventing the train from fully entering service. Since the end of October 2007 four IC4 units have entered regional service in JutlandJutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
. However, service was suspended at the end of February 2008 because of problems with exhaust fumes. There have been many faults that have not really prevented the train from being used, but still have not been acceptable, for example false warnings, and various other computer related problems.
Ultimatum
In June 2008, DSB gave AnsaldoBreda an ultimatum whereby at least 14 trains had to be approved and ready for regular service before May 2009, or the contract would be canceled and DSB would demand its money back and return its trains to the factory. DSB had ordered a total of 83 IC4 trainsets in 2000, with original delivery set for 2003.On 7 August 2008 train no. 13 ran from Aarhus
Aarhus
Aarhus or Århus is the second-largest city in Denmark. The principal port of Denmark, Aarhus is on the east side of the peninsula of Jutland in the geographical center of Denmark...
H. to Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
H. and back with passengers. On the 21st of May 2009, it became clear the ultimatum had been met with 15 trains delivered , although a subclause stating at last one trainset should be tested and approved for coupling to other units had at the time not been fulfilled.
Current situation
Along with the (partial) fulfillment of the ultimatum, DSB also announced it had reached an agreement with AnsaldoBreda concerning delivery of the remaining trainsets. The final delivery date has been extended to 2012. AnsaldoBreda will drop all further development and all subsequent trainsets will be identical to the current test train. All final updates will be done by DSB itself. AnsaldoBreda will pay DSB compensation of 2 billion DKr, which together with previously paid compensation fees will entail refunding half the original contract value. DSB retaines the right to cancel the contract if more than seven trains are delivered more than six months late.DSB suffers from a lack of trainsets and quality problems with the existing ones, since the existing IC3
IC3
The IC3 is a Danish-built high-comfort medium/long distance diesel multiple-unit train. The sets were built by ABB Scandia . This train model has been operating in Denmark and Sweden since 1989...
s are old and should have been replaced. Ordering new IC3s would be 'expensive and technically challenging', according to DSB. DSB has together with Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
started using German tilting ICE-TD
ICE TD
The DBAG Class 605 is a high-speed diesel multiple unit train, in service with Deutsche Bahn and DSB, commonly known as the ICE TD.- Development :...
diesel trains to and from Germany. This relieved the situation somewhat even if these trains are expensive and the adaptation for Danish traffic was also costly. In October 2008, DSB also ordered 45 coaches worth of new double-decker coaches from Bombardier
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
, to be delivered from the end of 2009.
From August 2009, DSB has been running 17 daily scheduled trains using the IC4. They use only single IC4 sets, not multiply connected ones, which limits their usability since they can't be used during rush hour because longer trains are needed then. On November 9, 2010, DSB finally after a seven year delay completed certification of multiple connected IC4 trainsets. They are scheduled to enter service in January 2011. At the end of April 2011, DSB's director Frank Olesen stated that further economic sanctions against AnsaldoBreda were likely to be imposed as a result of continuing problems in the quality of the trains delivered. This has led to the need for the trains to be upgraded to Danish standards at DSB's own cost at its facility in Randers
Randers
Randers is a city in Randers municipality on the Jutland peninsula in central Denmark. It is Denmark's sixth-largest city, with a population of 60,656 . Randers city is the main town of the municipality and the site of its municipal council.-Overview:Randers municipality has 94,750 inhabitants...
. Eighteen IC4 trains have been approved for use, nine of them now in daily service.
In November 2011 two IC4 trains each failed to stop at stop signals. This caused the authorities to ban the IC4 from running until the problems had been investigated. The investigations are currently ongoing.