CD Class 680
Encyclopedia
ČD
Class 680 are electric multiple unit
s used in the Czech Republic
, using tilting Pendolino
technology. Built by Alstom
they were largely based on the 9-car ETR 470
. While testing from Břeclav
to Brno
on November 18, 2004, the Pendolino reached a speed of 237 km/h and created a new Czech railway speed record
. The units are equipped to work on , and 3,000 V DC.
during 2000. As part of the Alstom take over of Fiat Ferroviaria the order was changed to Pendolino trains. The first set was delivered in 2004 as Pendolino ČD 680.
During the testing period, the train had problems with the Czech signalling system. The problems were said to be solved and the trains entered regular service in December 2005 between Prague
and Ostrava
. As of late January 2006, all five Czech Pendolino trains that had been put in service suffered from software and functional problems. The range of problems was spanning from failing air conditioning
and heating, to failures of the tilting control. The supposedly ERTMS compliant control system ATLAS
is not able to properly join several discrete systems each based on different software platforms. Similar problems have also been reported with Finnish VR Class Sm3
. All problems were fixed.
Cars are individually numbered, with the driving cars carrying their numbers on their noses.
. No one was injured but the train was severely damaged.
The train was featured in the 2006 James Bond
film Casino Royale
. While in reality the Czech Pendolino does not actually operate the route, in the movie it was shown to journey from Switzerland
to Montenegro
. In the 2008 movie Wanted, the train was featured with real Czech Railways logo and equipment.
and Austria
.
schedule 2011:
Ceské dráhy
České dráhy or Czech Railways is the main railway operator of the Czech Republic. In 2010 its consolidated revenues reached CZK 41.0 bn...
Class 680 are electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
s used in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, using tilting Pendolino
Pendolino
Pendolino is an Italian family of tilting trains used in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, Finland, Russian Federation, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, Switzerland, China and shortly in Romania and Poland...
technology. Built by Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
they were largely based on the 9-car ETR 470
ETR 470
ETR 470 is an Italian high-speed tilting Electric Multiple Unit introduced in 1993 and produced in 9 units for the ItaloSwiss firm Cisalpino. They were produced by Fiat Ferroviaria ....
. While testing from Břeclav
Breclav
Břeclav is a town in the South Moravian Region, Czech Republic, approximately 55 km southeast of Brno. It is located at the border with Lower Austria on the Dyje River. The nearest large town on Austrian territory is Hohenau an der March...
to Brno
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
on November 18, 2004, the Pendolino reached a speed of 237 km/h and created a new Czech railway speed record
Czech rail records
Czech rail records, dates in brackets indicate when the record was reached or when the railway infrastructure was put into operation.First horse-drawn railway...
. The units are equipped to work on , and 3,000 V DC.
History
The initial Czech order for tilting trains was placed with Fiat FerroviariaFiat Ferroviaria
thumb|300px|[[FS Class E626]] locomotive, a mainstay of Italian railways starting from the 1930s.Fiat Ferroviaria was the rail division of FIAT of Italy....
during 2000. As part of the Alstom take over of Fiat Ferroviaria the order was changed to Pendolino trains. The first set was delivered in 2004 as Pendolino ČD 680.
During the testing period, the train had problems with the Czech signalling system. The problems were said to be solved and the trains entered regular service in December 2005 between Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
and Ostrava
Ostrava
Ostrava is the third largest city in the Czech Republic and the second largest urban agglomeration after Prague. Located close to the Polish border, it is also the administrative center of the Moravian-Silesian Region and of the Municipality with Extended Competence. Ostrava was candidate for the...
. As of late January 2006, all five Czech Pendolino trains that had been put in service suffered from software and functional problems. The range of problems was spanning from failing air conditioning
Air conditioning
An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
and heating, to failures of the tilting control. The supposedly ERTMS compliant control system ATLAS
Atlas
An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a map of Earth or a region of Earth, but there are atlases of the other planets in the Solar System. Atlases have traditionally been bound into book form, but today many atlases are in multimedia formats...
is not able to properly join several discrete systems each based on different software platforms. Similar problems have also been reported with Finnish VR Class Sm3
VR Class Sm3
The Sm3 Pendolino is a class of high-speed body-tilting trains operated by VR Group. It is a member of the Pendolino train family; its design is based on the ETR 460. The first two trainsets were assembled in Finland by Rautaruukki-Transtech in the mid-1990s...
. All problems were fixed.
Formation
The seven car units consist of:- Class 681 Driving Motor First
- Class 081 Trailer First
- Class 683 Motor Buffet Second
- Class 084 Trailer Second
- Class 684 Motor second
- Class 082 Trailer Second
- Class 682 Driving Motor First
Cars are individually numbered, with the driving cars carrying their numbers on their noses.
Events
On December 1, 2007 a Pendolino derailed in PraguePrague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. No one was injured but the train was severely damaged.
The train was featured in the 2006 James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
film Casino Royale
Casino Royale (2006 film)
Casino Royale is the twenty-first film in the James Bond film series and the first to star Daniel Craig as fictional MI6 agent James Bond...
. While in reality the Czech Pendolino does not actually operate the route, in the movie it was shown to journey from Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
to Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
. In the 2008 movie Wanted, the train was featured with real Czech Railways logo and equipment.
Operations
In December 2006 Czech Pendolinos were given permission to operate in SlovakiaSlovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
schedule 2011:
- ČD pendolinos operate 9 times a day each direction on the route PraguePraguePrague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
-PardubicePardubicePardubice is the capital city of the Pardubice Region and lies on the river Elbe, 65 miles east of Prague. Pardubice has an antique centre square and old town, with many restaurants that stay open until late in the evening. There is an old Tower and a recently renovated Castle...
-OlomoucOlomoucOlomouc is a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. The city is located on the Morava river and is the ecclesiastical metropolis and historical capital city of Moravia. Nowadays, it is an administrative centre of the Olomouc Region and sixth largest city in the Czech Republic...
-OstravaOstravaOstrava is the third largest city in the Czech Republic and the second largest urban agglomeration after Prague. Located close to the Polish border, it is also the administrative center of the Moravian-Silesian Region and of the Municipality with Extended Competence. Ostrava was candidate for the...
, with 1 continuing to BohumínBohumínBohumín is a town in Karviná District, Moravian-Silesian Region, Czech Republic on the border with Poland. The confluence of the Oder and Olza Rivers is situated just north of the town. The town lies in the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia....
and TřinecTrinecTřinec is a town in Frýdek-Místek District, Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It lies on the Olza River, in the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia. The town has 37,405 inhabitants as of 2009, in 2001 17.7% of the population were Poles... - once a day between PraguePraguePrague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
-PardubicePardubicePardubice is the capital city of the Pardubice Region and lies on the river Elbe, 65 miles east of Prague. Pardubice has an antique centre square and old town, with many restaurants that stay open until late in the evening. There is an old Tower and a recently renovated Castle...
-BrnoBrnoBrno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
-BřeclavBreclavBřeclav is a town in the South Moravian Region, Czech Republic, approximately 55 km southeast of Brno. It is located at the border with Lower Austria on the Dyje River. The nearest large town on Austrian territory is Hohenau an der March...
-KútyKútyKúty, is a village and municipality in Senica District in the Trnava Region of western Slovakia.-Geography:The municipality lies at an altitude of 156 metres and covers an area of 27.158 km²...
-BratislavaBratislavaBratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
(SuperCity Slovenská StrelaSlovenská strelaSlovenská strela is the name of a Czechoslovak express train operated by ČSD on the line between Bratislava and Prague.Introduced in 1936, Slovenská strela served as a ČSD flagship between the metropolises of Slovakia and Bohemia...
)