In 1967,
Fiat Company of Italy began to study the theory and system of active tilting
train, and in 1969, it trial-produced a prototype car Y0160. On this basis, the
first ETR401 tilting EMU was trial-produced in 1974, which
is an experimental Pendolino tilting train and started trial in 1976.
Due to
the success of ETR401, Fiat continued to improve on this basis. In 1985, the
second generation Pendolino tilting train ETR450 was put into commercial
operation. The Italian National Railway Group (FS) ordered 15 trains, which
were officially put into operation on the existing Rome-Milan line in May 1988.
In 1992, the third generation of Pendolino tilting trains: ETR460, ETR470 and
ETR480 were successfully developed.
ETR401
tilting EMU has been tested on German railways since 1987. Since then, ETR460
and ETR470 have been tested on railways in Austria, Germany, Switzerland,
Poland, France, Finland, Slovenia, Czech Republic and other countries, and
gained rich experience in driving on different characteristic lines. In 1993, a
demonstration operation test was carried out on the main line of Northeast
Corridor in the United States, which had a great influence in the world. At
present, Germany (ICT, VT610), Finland (SM200), Switzerland (ETR470), etc. have
purchased or adopted Italian Pendolino tilting train or its technology to
improve the speed of trains on existing lines.
In 2000,
Fiat was acquired by Alstom of France, and Pendolino tilting train and its
technology are now owned by Alstom. Through this move, Alstom not only fills
the gap in tilting trains, but also consolidates and strengthens its position
in Italy, Switzerland and even in the whole European railway rolling stock
market.
Alstom's
Tiltronix is a unique active body tilting technology, which can make the body
swing angle reach 8, so that the train can pass through the curve at a higher
speed than the passive tilting technology.
Tiltronix
has two modes: reaction mode or prediction mode:
In the
reaction mode, the gyroscope and the accelerometer of the front bogie of the
head vehicle detect the curvature of the track, and the on-board computer
calculates the required swing angle, then sends instructions to the hydraulic
cylinder of each vehicle in turn according to the position and speed of each
vehicle, and then drives the tilting action actuator to make the vehicle body
tilt.
In the
prediction mode, the system uses the database of the line to compare the data
with the information received by the on-board sensors, and the system can
determine the accurate position of the train on the line at any time, and then
command the train to perform the corresponding tilting action. Because it is
relatively insensitive to track irregularities, the tilting action is smoother
and passengers are more comfortable.