FS Class ETR 470

{{infobox train

| background = #979797

| name = ETR 470

| image = The ETR 470 in the Hellenic Train livery (cropped).jpg

| imagesize = 250px

| caption = ETR 470 in the Hellenic Train livery

| interiorimage =

| interiorimagealt =

| interiorcaption =

| service =

| manufacturer = Fiat Ferroviaria (now Alstom), Schindler, Vevey Technologies.

| factory = Fiat Ferroviaria, Savigliano (Cuneo) / Alstom (Italy)

| family = Pendolino

| replaced = SBB-CFF-FFS RAe TEE II

| yearconstruction = 1993-1997

| yearservice = 1996

| refurbishment = 2008 & 2018-2022

| yearscrapped = 2015 (Switzerland)

| numberconstruction =

| numberbuilt = 9 + 1 prototype

| numberservice = 5 (Hellenic Train (Greece) from 2022)

| numberpreserved = 1 (in Switzerland, for possible museum purposes). Leased to Trenitalia since 31 March 2017 for service on Milano - Gotthard - Zurich / Basel lines.

| numberscrapped = 3 (in Switzerland)

| formation = 3 first class coaches, 1 restaurant car, 5 second class coaches.

| fleetnumbers =

| capacity = 475 passengers : 151 1st class, 322 2nd class, 2 for disabled persons + 29 in the restaurant coach.

| operator = Cisalpino, SBB + Trenitalia, Hellenic Train

| depots =

| lines = Athens-Thessaloniki (Greece)

| carbody =

| trainlength = {{Convert|236.60|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

| carlength = Head: {{cvt|27.650|m|ftin}}
intermediate: {{cvt|26.900|m|ftin}}

| width =

| height =

| floorheight =

| platformheight =

| entrylevelorstep =

| doors =

| art-sections =

| maxspeed = {{Convert|250|km/h|0|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{Convert|798|t|lk=on|abbr=on}}
(normal load)

| acceleration =

| deceleration =

| traction =

| engine =

| poweroutput = {{Convert|6,600|kW|abbr=on}} ( hourly ), 5880 kW ( continuous ).

| transmission =

| aux =

| electricsystem = 3 kV DC,
15 kV AC railway electrification & 25 kV AC railway electrification Overhead catenary

| hvac =

| powersupply =

| collectionmethod = Pantograph

| uicclass =

| aarwheels =

| bogies =

| brakes =

| safety =

| coupling =

| multipleworking =

| gauge = {{Track gauge|sg|allk=on}}

}}

ETR 470 (ElettroTreno 470) is a high-speed tilting electric multiple unit, which is now only operated by the Greek company, Hellenic Train. Introduced in September 1996,{{Cite book|last=Brunhouse|first=Jay|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/46936207|title=Traveling Europe's trains|date=2001|publisher=Pelican Publ|isbn=1-56554-854-X|edition=5th|location=Gretna [La.]|oclc=46936207}} nine units were built for the Italo-Swiss firm Cisalpino. They were made by Fiat Ferroviaria{{Cite web|last=Καραγιάννης|first=Νίκος|date=5 July 2019|title=ΤΡΑΙΝΟΣΕ: Το Pendolino ETR470 στέλνει η Ferrovie στην Ελλάδα;|url=https://ypodomes.com/trainose-to-pendolino-etr470-stelnei-i-ferrovie-stin-ellada/|access-date=13 January 2021|website=Ypodomes.com|language=el}} (now Alstom), and could tilt up to 8°. Today, there are five trains in Greece.{{Cite web |date=2022-07-14 |title=Πιστοποιήθηκε και το πέμπτο τρένο ETR της Hellenic Train |url=https://www.athenstransport.com/2022/07/pistopoiisi-amaxostoixias-etr/ |access-date=2022-07-16 |website=Athens Transport |language=el}}

Prior to their arrival in Greece, they performed services under the name Frecciabianca.{{Cite web|date=26 July 2018|title=Frecciabianca- collegamenti e servizi - Le Frecce - Trenitalia|url=http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom/Le-Frecce/Collegamenti-e-servizi-Frecciabianca|access-date=13 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726012008/http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom/Le-Frecce/Collegamenti-e-servizi-Frecciabianca|archive-date=26 July 2018}}

Specifications

They can accommodate a total of 475 passengers, and also have a restaurant.{{Cite web|title=Ferrovie.it - Avvicendamenti in vista per gli ETR.470 e 610 Trenitalia|url=https://www.ferrovie.it/portale/articoli/1605|access-date=13 January 2021|website=Ferrovie.it|language=it}} They were designed by the Italian Giugiaro.{{Cite web|title=Giugiaro Design designed the Cisalpino AG and the corporate image|url=https://www.italdesign.it/project/cisalpino-ag/|access-date=13 January 2021|website=Italdesign|language=en}} They were initially designed for 3kV DC and 15kV 16.7 Hz AC operation, had four pantographs, as well as a tilting mechanism, accommodating a tilt of up to 8 degrees.{{Cite web|date=23 April 2016|title=Elettrotreno politensione ETR 470 - leferrovie.it|url=http://www.leferrovie.it/leferrovie/wiki/doku.php?id=schede_tecniche:elettrico:etr:etr_470|access-date=13 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423072535/http://www.leferrovie.it/leferrovie/wiki/doku.php?id=schede_tecniche:elettrico:etr:etr_470|archive-date=23 April 2016}}

Interiors

File:First Class Seats.jpg|1st class seats

File:Second Class Seats.png|2nd class seats

History

The 9 trainsets were built between 1993 and 1996 and were originally owned by the Swiss Cisalpino. In total, they cost 16.85 million euros each.

Part of the Pendolino family, it was an updated version of the ETR 460 adapted for services under lines electrified at 3 kV DC in Italy and at 15 kV 16.7 Hz AC in Switzerland and Germany. ETR 470 trains were used for fast services between Italy and Switzerland.{{cite news |last1=Müller |first1=Adrian |title=Die SBB verlieren die Geduld / SBB loose patience |url=https://www.20min.ch/story/die-sbb-verlieren-die-geduld-352099071793 |access-date=22 January 2021 |agency=20 Minuten |publisher=TA Media |date=24 December 2008 |language=de}}

Nine sets of nine coaches each were built, together with a 3-car prototype ("Train 0") which has never been used for commercial service. Since the dissolution of Cisalpino they were split between SBB (4 sets) and Trenitalia (5 sets). SBB planned to retire its 4 sets in 2014 at the latest.

Because of its long series of breakdowns, the ETR 470 was very poorly received in Switzerland. The maintenance costs were four times higher compared to the ICN.{{cite web|title=The Cisalpino nears the end of the line|date=2 June 2011 |url=http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/the-cisalpino-nears-the-end-of-the-line/30376548|publisher=swissinfo.ch|accessdate=2 December 2014}} The final decision to retire the trains was taken after one of them caught fire on 17 May 2011 in Ambrì. The spokesperson for the Swiss Association for Transport and Environment described them as "not worthy of the Swiss Federal Railways", while the chief executive of Swiss Federal Railways said he wanted to "put an end to this horror". After unsuccessful attempts by SBB to sell the trains, three Swiss ETR 470 trainsets were scrapped in November 2015.{{cite web|url=http://www.blick.ch/news/schweiz/mittelland/sbb-entsorgen-pendolino-zuege-720-meter-schrott-auf-letzter-fahrt-id4362174.html|title=SBB entsorgen Pendolino-Züge: "720 Meter Schrott auf letzter Fahrt"|author=Blick|date=16 November 2015|publisher=}} ETR 470 009 owned by SBB has been leased to Trenitalia since 31 March 2017 after an Italian ETR 610 had been seriously damaged in an accident (derailment) in Lucerne on 22 March 2017.

Export

Before 2021, the Italian ETR 470 were used for Frecciabianca high-speed services. It was decided in 2019, that these would be used on the Athens – Thessaloniki railway line run by Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane subsidiary, Hellenic Train. Units would be converted for use in Greece, the existing 3 kV DC equipment was to be replaced with 25 kV 50 Hz equipment and they were to be fitted with ETCS onboard equipment.{{Cite web|url=https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/news/europe/single-view/view/cisalpino-pendolinos-to-work-athens-thessaloniki-line.html|title=Cisalpino Pendolinos to work Athens – Thessaloniki line|publisher=Railway Gazette International|language=en|access-date=3 July 2019}} In August 2018, a similar ETR 485 unit was transferred to Greece for testing purposes, in anticipation of the ETR 470 fleet's arrival.{{cite web |last1=Planinski |first1=Konstantin |title=[SI] ETR 485 31 en route to Greece, Hellenic Train tests starting soon |url=https://railcolornews.com/2018/08/20/hr-etr-485-31-en-route-to-greece-trainose-tests-starting-soon/ |website=Railcolor News |accessdate=18 June 2020 |date=20 August 2018}} This unit, though, was not designed for the Greek network and so it was decided instead to launch the ETR 470s, which were originally expected to come in 2019 with the completion of electrification and testing of the ETCS.{{Cite web|title=Η ΤΡΑΙΝΟΣΕ επιμένει για το "Ασημένιο Βέλος": δεν ήταν μόνο (υπουργική) φιέστα|url=https://www.protagon.gr/epikairotita/trainose-oxi-mono-ypourgiki-fiesta-to-asimenio-velos-tha-treksei-44341690334|access-date=13 January 2021|website=Protagon.gr|language=el}} However, in February 2020, with the Hellenic Train depot not yet ready to receive them delivery was delayed. Instead of arriving in the summer of 2020, delivery was postponed until the end of 2020 or the beginning of 2021.{{Cite web|last=Newsroom|title=Εργα 18 εκατ. ενόψει των νέων τρένων της ΤΡΑΙΝΟΣΕ {{!}} Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ|date=2 February 2020 |url=https://www.kathimerini.gr/economy/business/1062914/erga-18-ekat-enopsei-ton-neon-trenon-tis-trainose/|access-date=13 January 2021}} The delivery was delayed even further, so the first unit was scheduled to arrive on 18 January 2021 in Thessaloniki via a route from Piacenza. The first ETR 470 train completed the control tests on 10 January 2021 and departed from Milan for Thessaloniki where it arrived on 16 January 2021, two days ahead of schedule. Three trains arrived in Greece in 2021, the fourth in January 2022.{{Cite web|last=Newsroom|title= Fourth part of high-speed train on its way to Greece |url=https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1175600/fourth-part-of-high-speed-train-on-its-way-to-greece/|date=17 January 2022 |work=kathimerini.gr |access-date=2022-05-25}} On May 15, 2022 the trains started operating on the connection between Thessaloniki and Athens.{{Cite web|last=Newsroom|title= New trains to take to the tracks on May 15 |url= https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1183776/new-trains-to-take-to-the-tracks-on-may-15/ |date=6 May 2022 |work=kathimerini.gr |access-date=2022-05-25}}

Liveries

= Original livery =

The original livery included green, black and blue horizontal stripes and red elements below the front, all on white surface, which covered most of the vehicles.

= Second livery =

This colouring consists of a blue wavy stripe on the side in silver colour, while the red elements were kept under the front from the previous livery. This livery is still used today, in some variations with the logos of the newer companies (i.e. CIS and FS.)

= Third livery =

Hellenic train uses ETR 470 trains in Greece in new livery. The car body is painted white with a grey stripe above the battery boxes, while the underskirt and the plows are painted black. A blue half-arrow starts from the first passenger window running down the length of the train and ends at the other end. Also, there is a red line which also runs down the length of the train, follows the cab slope and curves below the windscreen. Last, there is a black triangle that surrounds the side cab windows and a smaller blue triangle below those windows.

File:Cisalpino ETR471.1.JPG|Cisalpino original livery. Here, ETR 470.1 on 16 February 2006 in Schaffhausen to Stuttgart.

File:CIS ETR 470 005 Bellinzona 130609 CIS19.jpg|Second Cisalpino livery (Original version). Here, ETR 470 005 arrives at Bellinzona Railway Station on CIS 19 from Zurich to Milan in 2009

File:CIS ETR 470 002.jpg|Second Cisalpino livery (CIS version). Here, 470 002 as Eurocity 15 to Milan Central Station in Lugano in 2013

File:FS ETR470001 Biasca 140312 EC17.jpg|Second Cisalpino livery (CIS version). Here, the ETR 470 001 passes through Biasca Railway Station while traveling as EuroCity 17 from Zurich to Milan in 2012

File:FS_ETR470004_Airolo_050214_EC12.jpg| ETR 470 in the Second Cisalpino livery (CIS version).