PKP class EN71
Encyclopedia
The EN71 is a four-carriage Polish
EMU
constructed for the Polish National Railways (PKP
) and is based on the three-carriage EN57, but differs in that it has an additional motor carriage.
- Zakopane
route. Twenty EN71s were built at the PaFaWag
works in 1976 and a further 30, or so, were manufactured in 1984 using individual EN57 units. The original twenty EN71s had bodywork made from corrugated metal; units with numbers above 20 are built from EN57s and can, therefore, have bodywork made from either flat or corrugated metal panels.
Each carriage is equipped with two sets of automatic, pneumatic powered doors and is split into three sections with seating — a central aisle running between the seats. The front and rearmost passenger sections of the control car are arranged differently to the rest: they contain foldable seats built into the wall of the carriage, as well as an extra set of doors that can be opened manually. According to need, these sections can also serve as compartments for staff or for transporting bicycles, pushchairs, and oversize luggage. The driver's cab is accessible via a separate, manually operated door at the front of the carriage. In contrast to the EN57 series, all EN71s (with exception to EN71-100) are equipped with racks for skis located next to the passenger compartment doors.
, EN71-046 was used for 3 weeks by Szybka Kolej Miejska in Warsaw
. As has been mentioned in the History section, the new EN71s were set to work on the Kraków-Zakopane route, which had been electrified in 1975. In the years that followed, the series saw use on the routes to Krynica and Szklarska Poręba
. At the beginning of the '90s, several EN71s were modernised and became more comfortable (1st class carriages were also built). These new EN71s were assigned to a new service called RegioPlus before becoming superseded by the ED72 series.
Some four-carriage units were exported to Yugoslavia along with the three-carriage EN57 in the 1960s and '70s. A few have recently returned to Poland, purchased by Koleje Mazowieckie
(Masovia Railways) from Slovenske železnice
.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
EMU
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...
constructed for the Polish National Railways (PKP
Polskie Koleje Panstwowe
is the dominant railway operator in Poland.The company was founded when the former state-owned operator was divided into several units based on the requirements laid down by the European Union...
) and is based on the three-carriage EN57, but differs in that it has an additional motor carriage.
History
The series was designed to replace the EN57, which was struggling to cope with the steep inclines of the KrakówKraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
- Zakopane
Zakopane
Zakopane , is a town in southern Poland. It lies in the southern part of the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. From 1975 to 1998 it was in of Nowy Sącz Province, but since 1999 it has been in Lesser Poland Province. It had a population of about 28,000 as of 2004. Zakopane is a...
route. Twenty EN71s were built at the PaFaWag
Pafawag
Pafawag is a Polish locomotive manufacturer based in Wrocław. The company became part of Adtranz in 1997 as Adtranz Pafawag, and in 2001 part of Bombardier Transportation...
works in 1976 and a further 30, or so, were manufactured in 1984 using individual EN57 units. The original twenty EN71s had bodywork made from corrugated metal; units with numbers above 20 are built from EN57s and can, therefore, have bodywork made from either flat or corrugated metal panels.
Construction
The EN71 is made up of four carriages: two with cabs; two with motors. The former (factory designation 5B) are marked as ra — where r stands for rozrządczy (the Polish term for control car) and a signifies that this is the front end of the train — and rb. The motor carriages (factory designation 6B) are classified as s, which is short for silnikowy, Polish for approximately engine-equipped. The sets can be connected together using Scharfenberger couplers, which prevent access between sets.Each carriage is equipped with two sets of automatic, pneumatic powered doors and is split into three sections with seating — a central aisle running between the seats. The front and rearmost passenger sections of the control car are arranged differently to the rest: they contain foldable seats built into the wall of the carriage, as well as an extra set of doors that can be opened manually. According to need, these sections can also serve as compartments for staff or for transporting bicycles, pushchairs, and oversize luggage. The driver's cab is accessible via a separate, manually operated door at the front of the carriage. In contrast to the EN57 series, all EN71s (with exception to EN71-100) are equipped with racks for skis located next to the passenger compartment doors.
Service History
The EN71 series are operated by Przewozy Regionalne (Regional Transport) and Szybka Kolej Miejska (Fast Urban Railway) in the TricityTricity
Tricity is an urban area consisting of three Polish cities: Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot. They are situated adjacent to one other, in a row, on the coast of the Gdańsk Bay, Baltic Sea, in Pomerelia , northern Poland...
, EN71-046 was used for 3 weeks by Szybka Kolej Miejska in Warsaw
Szybka Kolej Miejska (Warsaw)
Szybka Kolej Miejska is a rail operator providing services in the Warsaw metropolitan area using the national rail network while constituting a part of the cities integrated public transport system organized by the Warsaw Transport Authority.- History :...
. As has been mentioned in the History section, the new EN71s were set to work on the Kraków-Zakopane route, which had been electrified in 1975. In the years that followed, the series saw use on the routes to Krynica and Szklarska Poręba
Szklarska Poreba
Szklarska Poręba is a town in Jelenia Góra County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. The town has a population of around 7,000...
. At the beginning of the '90s, several EN71s were modernised and became more comfortable (1st class carriages were also built). These new EN71s were assigned to a new service called RegioPlus before becoming superseded by the ED72 series.
Some four-carriage units were exported to Yugoslavia along with the three-carriage EN57 in the 1960s and '70s. A few have recently returned to Poland, purchased by Koleje Mazowieckie
Koleje Mazowieckie
Koleje Mazowieckie is a regional rail operator in the Masovian Voivodeship of Poland.- History :The company was founded in 2004 as a joint venture of the Masovian Voivodeship, with 51% shares, and the, then government-owned, PKP Przewozy Regionalne, with 49% shares, to handle local passenger...
(Masovia Railways) from Slovenske železnice
Slovenske železnice
Slovenian Railways is the state railway company of Slovenia, created in 1991 from the Ljubljana division of the former Yugoslav Railways after the breakup of Yugoslavia.Slovenia is a member of the International Union of Railways...
.