NSB Class 71
| Company type | Electric multiple unit |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Norway |
| Products | High-speed trains |
NSB Class 71 () represents an electric multiple unit utilized by Flytoget for the Airport Express Train service along Norway's Gardermoen Line. A total of sixteen three-car train sets were manufactured by Adtranz at Strømmen between 1997 and 1998. These trains, capable of speeds up to , provide a direct connection between Oslo Central Station and other stations within the Oslo metropolitan area to Oslo Airport, Gardermoen, which is Norway's sole high-speed railway.
Initially configured as three-car formations weighing and measuring in length, they generate a power output of . By 2009, all units were extended with an additional fourth car to enhance passenger capacity.
Specifications
The Class 71 design is derived from the Swedish X2, originally developed by Kalmar Verkstad during the 1980s for the Swedish State Railways' X 2000 high-speed service. Although both share spot-welded stainless steel car bodies and similar technologies, the Class 71 distinguishes itself by lacking a separate locomotive; instead, traction motors are distributed across each car, with one powered and one unpowered bogie. Doors are positioned between bogies rather than at the ends of cars, and the trains are built to be pressure-tight to ensure passenger comfort in tunnels. Hydraulic couplers are installed at both ends but remain hidden when not in use. Unlike the longer tilting four-car NSB Class 73, the Class 71 does not incorporate tilting technology and was originally shorter with three cars.
Each unit boasts an exceptionally high power-to-weight ratio of , operating on Norway’s standard electrification system. Up to four units can be coupled together, forming trains up to 12 cars long before expansion, or up to 16 cars after adding the fourth car. However, typical service usually involves single or double sets, limiting train length to eight cars. The end cars measure and weigh , while intermediate cars are long and have a weight of . The pantograph is mounted on the center car. Seating capacity per unit is 168 passengers configured in modular layouts. The entire fleet was procured at an approximate cost of .
During development, the weight increased from 149 tonnes to 170 tonnes; efforts to reduce this to 158 tonnes led to abandoning step-free access in favor of a wheelchair lift that ultimately proved ineffective. While platform boarding near doors is step-free, internal steps remain leading to seating areas. This design has attracted criticism from disability advocacy groups regarding accessibility enhancements.
The maximum speed of was selected to guarantee travel times under 20 minutes between Oslo Central Station and Oslo Airport. The signaling system ATC-2 supports speeds up to , which restricts any further speed increases. Trainsets cannot be separated outside specialized workshops and operate solely in their fixed configurations.
History
Following the decision by the Parliament of Norway on 8 October 1992 to construct Oslo Airport, Gardermoen, approval was also granted for a high-speed airport rail link connecting Oslo Central Station with the airport. This railway line, known as the Gardermoen Line, was planned to be built and managed by a subsidiary of Norwegian State Railways, named NSB Gardermobanen. Sixteen electric multiple units were required for operation.
After testing in Sweden, the X2 train underwent trial runs on the Randsfjord Line on 12 March 1993. The order for these units was finalized on 23 February 1995, following competitive bids from manufacturers including ABB (which later merged its train division with Daimler-Benz's to form Adtranz), AEG, Fiat Ferroviaria, Talbot, Linke-Hofmann-Busch, Siemens, and Görlitz. In 1996, an X2 train was leased for performance testing on Norwegian tracks and briefly operated on the Sørland Line. The first Class 71 unit arrived on 19 September 1997, with deliveries completed by 30 January 1998. The final unit, numbered 71.16, featured a tilting mechanism intended for testing on Norwegian routes similar to those used by Class 73; it was deployed on demanding lines such as the Bergen Line and Dovre Line. This tilting system was subsequently removed.
In response to approximately 10% annual passenger growth, Flytoget placed an order in 2007 for a fourth car per unit to raise capacity by around 40%, reaching a total of 244 seats per trainset. Delivery commenced in 2008 through Bombardier Transportation, which had acquired Adtranz, with completion targeted for 2009. The refurbishment faced challenges due to discontinued components; Bombardier had to reproduce essential parts such as car bodies and rectifiers from defunct production lines while many original interior suppliers were no longer operational.
Since 2010, the Norwegian Rail School has operated a simulator center costing NOK 35 million featuring six Class 71 driver cab replicas for motorman training. Constructed by Sydac, this facility supports both new trainees and experienced Airport Express Train drivers in handling exceptional scenarios.
Incidents
The Class 71 trains operate on more advanced infrastructure than the NSB models, which contributes to a lower incidence of technical malfunctions. The sole occasion that led to the complete suspension of all Class 71 services occurred on 17 June 2000, triggered by a derailment of a Class 73 train at Nelaug Station caused by axle fatigue. Flytoget was able to restore operations the following day, whereas repairs on the Class 73 fleet extended for an additional month. On 24 January 2004, one Class 71 train was taken out of service due to smoke resulting from an overheated bearing; this incident led to a swift replacement of bearings across the entire fleet within a few days.
Regarding fatal accidents along the line, one notable event happened in 1999 when an employee of the Norwegian National Rail Administration lost their life after a train surpassed a temporary speed restriction. Flytoget was subsequently penalized for not adequately notifying the driver about the speed limit. Other fatalities recorded on this route have been identified as suicides; although these are excluded from official accident data, they nonetheless cause substantial disruptions to service schedules.
Between 2000 and 2001, Flytoget encountered three derailments involving empty trains at Gardermoen station—one attributed to driver fatigue and two caused by trains passing signals at danger. Since the implementation of Automatic Train Control in 2001, no similar incidents have been reported.