SBB RABDe 500

{{Infobox train

| background =

| name = SBB RABDe 500

| image = SBB RABDe 500 bei Twann.jpg

| imagealt = Red, white, and black trains pass a blue lake at speed

| imagesize = 300px

| caption = Two RABDe trainsets passing Lake Biel in 2011

| interiorimage = ICN-Vue Intérieure-2ème Classe Couloir.jpg

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| interiorcaption = Inside view of the ICN second class corridor

| service = 2000–present

| manufacturer = Adtranz

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| numberbuilt = 44

| numberservice = 44

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| formation = 7 cars

| diagram =

| code =

| fleetnumbers = 500 000–500 043

| capacity = 470

| owner = Swiss Federal Railways

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| lines = {{Plainlist|

{{ric|Swiss Federal Railways|IC 5}}
{{ric|Swiss Federal Railways|IC 51}}
{{ric|Swiss Federal Railways|IR 57}}

}}

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| trainlength = {{convert|188800|mm|ftin|abbr=on}}

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| maxspeed = {{convert|200|km/h|mph|abbr=on|round=5}}

| weight = {{convert|355|MT|abbr=on}}

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| poweroutput = {{convert|5200|kW|abbr=on}}

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| electricsystem = {{15 kV AC}}

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| notes = {{cite book | last=Haydock | first=David | title=Swiss railways: locomotives, multiple units and trams | edition=4th | location=Sheffield | publisher=Platform 5 | date=2016 | isbn=978-1-909431-23-2 | page=64}}

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File:ICN1.jpg

The SBB RABDe 500, also known as the ICN,{{efn|{{langx|de|Intercity-Neigezug|lit=intercity tilting train}}}} is a Swiss high speed passenger EMU, which was introduced in 2000, in time for Expo.02 held in western Switzerland in 2002. Its maximum speed is {{convert|200|km/h|abbr=on|round=5}}, and it employs tilting technology, which allows it to travel through curvy routes faster than non-tilting trains. The train sets were a joint development by Bombardier, Swiss Federal Railways and Alstom, with an aerodynamic body designed by Pininfarina, bogies and tilting mechanism designed by the then SIG, Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft.

Forty-four RABDe 500 trains with a total of 308 coaches were delivered to SBB-CFF-FFS between 1999 and 2005. The RABDe 500 often run with two complete compositions, each with seven carriages and a seating capacity of 480,{{Cite web |date=1999-01-28 |title=Swiss Tilting Trains - Railwey Technology |url=https://www.railway-technology.com/projects/sbb/ |access-date=2023-11-13 |website=Railway Technology}} both including a dining car. The outer four of the seven carriages are second class.

History

Swiss Federal Railways ordered an initial 24 7-car trainsets in 1996 at a cost of {{CHF|500 million|link=yes|ISO=yes}}. The contract went to a consortium including Adtranz, {{ill|Schindler Waggon|de}}, and Fiat-SIG.{{Cite news |date=4 July 1996 |title=Schweizer Firmen bauen InterCity-Neigezüge |language=de |pages=3 |work=Thuner Tagblatt |url=https://www.e-newspaperarchives.ch/?a=d&d=TTB19960704-01.2.12.5 |access-date=2023-02-05}} Pininfarina designed the vehicle body.{{Cite web |date=January 28, 1999 |title=Swiss Tilting Trains |url=https://www.railway-technology.com/projects/sbb/ |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=Railway Technology |language=en-US}} The trains were intended for use on the Jura Foot Line; adopting tilting technology allowed SBB to defer track upgrades over the route.{{cite book | editor-last=Harris | editor-first=Ken | title=Jane's World Railways | date=2001 | edition=43rd | isbn=978-0-7106-2335-5 | publisher=Jane's | page=363}}

The first trainsets entered service on the 28 May 2000 timetable change, running from St. Gallen via Winterthur, Zürich and Biel/Bienne to Lausanne.{{Cite news| page = 79| last = Weiss| first = Theo| title = Die neuen Intercity-Neigezüge der SBB| newspaper= Neue Zürcher Zeitung| date = 2000-05-24 | lang=de}} All 24 trainsets were in service by the opening of the Expo.02 national exposition in May 2002. The trains all carried the slogan "enable the future" ({{langx|fr|Permettre le futur}}).{{Cite news |date=23 March 2002 |title=Permettre le futur |language=fr |pages=5 |work=L'Express |url=https://www.e-newspaperarchives.ch/?a=d&d=EXR20020323-01.2.27 |access-date=2023-02-05}}

SBB ordered another 10 trainsets, with an option for 10 more, in June 2001. SBB exercised the option that December, for a total of 20 additional transets at {{CHF|420 million|link=yes|ISO=yes}}.{{Cite news |date=2001-06-27 |title=Zusätzliche IC-Neigezüge für die SBB |language=de |work=Neue Zürcher Zeitung |url=https://www.nzz.ch/article7HH98-ld.176243?reduced=true |access-date=2023-02-05}}{{Cite news |date=21 December 2001 |title=SBB bestellen weitere zehn ICN-Neigezüge |language=de |work=news.ch |url=https://www.news.ch/SBB+bestellen+weitere+zehn+ICN+Neigezuege/70464/detail.htm |access-date=2023-02-05}} Delivery was complete by 2005.

Formerly, SBB designated intercity services operated by the SBB RABDe 500 as "ICN", differentiating them from other InterCity (IC) and InterRegio (IR) services. This practice ceased with the December 2017 timetable changes, in which all IC and IR services gained numbers and the ICN category was eliminated.{{Cite news |date=2017-11-30|title=Route numbers to identify SBB's long-distance services|language=en|work=Railway Gazette |url=https://www.railwaygazette.com/europe/route-numbers-to-identify-sbbs-long-distance-services/45573.article |access-date=2023-02-07}} RABDe 500-operated services are indicated on timetables and mobile applications by the "{{abbr|TT|tilting train}}" label.{{Cite web |title=ICN: the InterCity tilting train connects Switzerland's city centres |url=https://www.sbb.ch/en/station-services/during-your-journey/our-trains/icn.html |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=SBB |language=en}}

All 44 trainsets were refurbished between 2012 and 2019, an overhaul taking 25 days per train.{{Cite web |title=Complete overhaul of the Intercity tilting trains. |url=https://stories.sbb.ch/en/2015/11/09/complete-overhaul-of-the-intercity-tilting-trains/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025185953/https://stories.sbb.ch/en/2015/11/09/complete-overhaul-of-the-intercity-tilting-trains/ |archive-date=25 October 2018 |access-date=25 October 2018 |website=Stories SBB |publisher=SBB}} Another overhaul, taking place between 2021 and 2029, will replace the interiors and improve mobile phone reception.{{Cite web |last=Sapién |first=Josephine Cordero |date=2020-02-24 |title=SBB ICN Intercity Tilting Trains to Undergo Full Refurbishment |url=https://railway-news.com/sbb-icn-refurbishment/ |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=Railway-News |language=en-gb}}

{{As of|alt=As of the December 2024 timetable change|2024|12|post=,}} the RABDe 500 is primarily used on two InterCity routes and one InterRegio route: the IC 5, running from {{rws|Lausanne}} to {{rws|Rorschach}} or Zürich HB; the IC 51, running from {{rws|Basel SBB}} to {{rws|Biel/Bienne}}; and the IR 57 running from {{rws|Geneva Airport}} to {{rws|Neuchâtel}}.{{Cite web |title=Annual formation |url=https://data.sbb.ch/explore/dataset/jahresformation/table/?refine.beginnfahrplanperiode=Fpl-2025&refine.block_bezeichnung=ICN:+Bt+B+WRA+A+AD+B+Bt |access-date=31 January 2025 |website=data.sbb.ch |language=en}}

Design

Each formation is composed of seven cars. The first two and last two cars in the trainset are the second class cars, and have the traction motors and powered axles. The three middle cars carry first class seating; the third car is split between first class and the restaurant car. The formation is {{convert|188800|mm|ftin|abbr=on}} long and weighs {{convert|355|MT|abbr=on}}. The car body is a monocoque design built out of aluminium.

The RABDe 500 can tilt at a maximum of 8 degrees. Eight {{convert|650|kW|adj=on}} traction motors produce {{convert|5200|kW}}; the train can travel at a maximum speed of {{convert|200|km/h|round=5}}. On routes with a significant number of curves, the tilting technology could reduce travel times by 10–20%. For example, on the {{rws|Lausanne}}–{{rws|St. Gallen}} route, the introduction of the trains shortened travel times by 15 minutes.

In 2015–2016, eighteen trainsets were adapted for operation in the Gotthard Base Tunnel. Changes included improved fire detection equipment, cab signaling upgrades, and improvements to heating and cooling.{{Cite web |title=Ertüchtigung nationale Bestandsflotte SBB |url=https://www.bahnonline.ch/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Ertuechtigung-nationale-Bestandsflotte-SBB-Personenverkehr-85712_02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220174321/https://www.bahnonline.ch/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Ertuechtigung-nationale-Bestandsflotte-SBB-Personenverkehr-85712_02.pdf |archive-date=20 December 2016 |page=3 |language=de}} This was a temporary measure until newer non-tilting trains SBB RABe 501 (Giruno) trains became available.{{cite web |url=https://www.sbb.ch/en/station-services/on-the-train/our-trains/giruno.html |title=SBB page on Giruno EMU |website=SBB page on train use |publisher=SBB |access-date=25 October 2018}}

Naming

All forty-four RABDe 500 trains are named, mostly after famous Swiss scholars, artists, writers, politicians, engineers, and architects. Each train bears the portrait of its namesake, painted by Bernese painter Martin Fivian, in the third car (first class and restaurant).{{Cite web |last=Meile |first=Rahel |date=9 November 2012 |title=Trains culturels |url=http://blog.cff.ch/trains-culturels/2012/11/09/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160323011002/http://blog.cff.ch/trains-culturels/2012/11/09/ |archive-date=23 March 2016 |access-date=2023-02-04 |publisher=Blog CFF |language=fr}}

List of names: