DB Class 420
Encyclopedia
The Baureihe 420 is a light-weight commuter electric multiple unit
developed for the S-Bahn
networks in Germany
and was originally commissioned by the Deutsche Bundesbahn
for the Munich
, Stuttgart
and Frankfurt
networks. It could seat 194 second class, 17 or 33 first class, depending on series. The pivot distance was 16.5 m (54 ft) in cab cars and 14 m (46 ft) in trailer, with a floor capacity of ca. 1 m. It ran at 15 kV, 16⅔ Hz
, with a tractive effort speed of 72 km/h (20 m/s; 45 mph) and acceleration of 0.9 m/s2 (3.0 ft/s2 or 2.0 mi/(h·s)).
, making the cars more lightweight and able to carry a greater payload.
It has largely been replaced in said cities by its successor, the Class 423
, but some units have been shipped to Stockholm
and some have been transferred to the Rhine-Ruhr
S-Bahn network. In Sweden the fifteen units received designation X420 serving on the Stockholm commuter rail
, and were in service from 2001 until the arrival of the new X60-series in 2006-08.
Additionally, in the Rhine-Main Area, many units of class 420 are still in use, especially on lines S8 and S9 of the S-Bahn Rhein Main
. Today all trains of this class have been repainted in the DB-typical "traffic red" (verkehrsrot).
Unit 420 001 will be preserved at the DB Museum in Nuremberg
.
Two 420/421 units in Stuttgart were rebuilt by the ET 420 Plus project, adding air conditioning
and passenger information displays to the trains among other things. The aim of this project was to demonstrate a less expensive alternative to new trains in order of keeping the S-Bahn fleet up to date. However, as the new long-term carrier contract with Stuttgart Region
includes the acquisition of 83 new class 430 EMU's, all 420's will be withdrawn from service in Stuttgart by 2013.
Multiple unit
The term multiple unit or MU is used to describe a self-propelled carriages capable of coupling with other units of the same or similar type and still being controlled from one driving cab. The term is commonly used to denote passenger trainsets consisting of more than one carriage...
developed for the S-Bahn
S-Bahn
S-Bahn refers to an often combined city center and suburban railway system metro in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Denmark...
networks in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and was originally commissioned by the Deutsche Bundesbahn
Deutsche Bundesbahn
The Deutsche Bundesbahn or DB was formed as the state railway of the newly established Federal Republic of Germany on September 7, 1949 as a successor of the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft '...
for the Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
and Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
networks. It could seat 194 second class, 17 or 33 first class, depending on series. The pivot distance was 16.5 m (54 ft) in cab cars and 14 m (46 ft) in trailer, with a floor capacity of ca. 1 m. It ran at 15 kV, 16⅔ Hz
Hertz
The hertz is the SI unit of frequency defined as the number of cycles per second of a periodic phenomenon. One of its most common uses is the description of the sine wave, particularly those used in radio and audio applications....
, with a tractive effort speed of 72 km/h (20 m/s; 45 mph) and acceleration of 0.9 m/s2 (3.0 ft/s2 or 2.0 mi/(h·s)).
History
It was built from 1971 onwards in several series, later changing the construction from steel to aluminiumAluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
, making the cars more lightweight and able to carry a greater payload.
It has largely been replaced in said cities by its successor, the Class 423
DBAG Class 423
The Class 423 EMU is a light-weight articulated electric railcar for S-Bahn commuter networks in Germany. The train has similar dimensions to its predecessor, the Class 420 EMU, but is significantly lighter and has one large passenger compartment, while that of the 420 is divided into three parts...
, but some units have been shipped to Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
and some have been transferred to the Rhine-Ruhr
Rhine-Ruhr
The Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region is the largest metropolitan region in Germany with about 10,100,000 inhabitants. It is of polycentric nature and the only megacity in Germany. It covers an area of 7,110 square kilometers and lies entirely within the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia...
S-Bahn network. In Sweden the fifteen units received designation X420 serving on the Stockholm commuter rail
Stockholm commuter rail
Stockholm Commuter Rail is the commuter rail system in Stockholm County, Sweden. The system is an important part of the public transport in Stockholm, and is controlled by Stockholm Transport; the trains are operated under contract by Stockholmståg...
, and were in service from 2001 until the arrival of the new X60-series in 2006-08.
Today's service
Rhine-Main S-Bahn
The Rhine-Main S-Bahn system is an integrated rapid transit and commuter transport system for the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region, which includes the cities Frankfurt am Main, Wiesbaden, Mainz, Offenbach am Main, Hanau and Darmstadt...
. Today all trains of this class have been repainted in the DB-typical "traffic red" (verkehrsrot).
Unit 420 001 will be preserved at the DB Museum in Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
.
Two 420/421 units in Stuttgart were rebuilt by the ET 420 Plus project, adding 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 passenger information displays to the trains among other things. The aim of this project was to demonstrate a less expensive alternative to new trains in order of keeping the S-Bahn fleet up to date. However, as the new long-term carrier contract with Stuttgart Region
Stuttgart Region
Stuttgart Region is a metropolitan area in Germany and consists of the city of Stuttgart and the surrounding districts of Ludwigsburg, Esslingen, Böblingen, Rems-Murr and Göppingen . About 2.7 million inhabitants live in that area...
includes the acquisition of 83 new class 430 EMU's, all 420's will be withdrawn from service in Stuttgart by 2013.