PKP class ED250
| Industry | Rail transport manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Founded | September 7, 1928 |
| Headquarters | Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine , France |
| Products | High-speed trains, electric multiple units |
| Website | www |
Alstom EMU250 (designated as series ED250) is a seven-car electric multiple unit designed for standard gauge high-speed rail operations. Part of the Pendolino family, it is produced by Alstom at the Savigliano plant in Italy, marketed under the name Alstom ETR 610. This model was commissioned by PKP Intercity, with a total of twenty units constructed. Since 14 December 2014, these trains have been serving Express InterCity Premium routes linking Warsaw to destinations such as Bielsko-Biała, Gdynia, Gliwice, Jelenia Góra, Katowice, Kołobrzeg, Kraków, Rzeszów, Wrocław, and Szczecin.
Testing of ETR460 in Poland
On 6 May 1994, a Pendolino train model ETR 460, equipped with tilting technology, arrived in Poland to conduct high-speed trials. The trainset consisted of three cars: two powered end cars and one intermediate trailer.
Starting on 9 May 1994, the train operated independently from Katowice to Idzikowice to evaluate maximum speeds along the Central Rail Line. Utilizing a two-car configuration powered by four traction motors delivering a combined output of 2,000 kW, initial runs began at 160 km/h and progressively increased through successive tests up to 244 km/h. On 11 May, it reached speeds of 245 km/h and subsequently set a Central and Eastern European speed record of 250.1 km/h near Biała Rawska.
From 16 May onwards, additional assessments took place on the Warsaw–Gdańsk corridor to analyze the advantages of the tilting system. Speeds ranged between 113 and 122 km/h while lateral accelerations peaked at 0.8 m/s² under diverse weather conditions. Promotional demonstration runs were also conducted between Warsaw and Gdańsk, including stops at stations such as Katowice and Częstochowa.
The successful trials in May 1994 confirmed the potential for raising line speeds and improving passenger comfort on Polish railways. Consequently, during the mid-1990s, upgrades were implemented on the E65 route connecting Gdynia, Warsaw, and Katowice to accommodate higher-speed services.
Initial tender process
Following a financial analysis completed in 1996, Polish State Railways initiated a procurement process on 8 August 1997 for sixteen tilting trains. The competition consisted of two phases and concluded on 20 July 1998 with Fiat Ferroviaria awarded the contract for its Pendolino ETR 460 proposal. Appeals from Siemens Mobility and Adtranz were dismissed by the Public Procurement Office arbitration panel on 21 August 1998.
Termination of initial tender
In 1998, an audit conducted by the Supreme Audit Office reviewed the tender procedures and concluded in February 1999 that Polish State Railways lacked sufficient infrastructure and financial capacity to operate the ordered trains effectively. This conclusion was based on outdated financial data from 1996 without updated feasibility evaluations. The Audit Office recommended halting negotiations and canceling the tender, leading Polish State Railways to annul it on 7 December 1999.
Subsequent tender
In August 2008, PKP Intercity launched a new tender seeking twenty high-speed trainsets capable of reaching speeds up to 250 km/h, omitting the tilting body requirement. Six manufacturers showed interest: Alstom; AnsaldoBreda partnered with Newag; Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles; Siemens Mobility; Bombardier Transportation collaborating with Pesa; and Talgo. By September 2010, Alstom remained as the sole contender.
On 30 May 2011, PKP Intercity finalized a €665 million agreement with Alstom Transport for twenty seven-car New Pendolino units without tilting technology, along with construction of a dedicated maintenance depot in Warsaw. The contract also covers technical servicing for up to seventeen years. Funding was secured through government guarantees complemented by a European Investment Bank loan initially set at €224 million and later increased to €342 million.
In October 2012, French firm Karmar commenced construction of the Pendolino maintenance facility located at Warsaw Grochów service station within Praga-Południe district. This project included a hall featuring four service tracks, a washing installation, and administrative offices. The facility was completed in April 2014 when Pendolino trains were transferred to this new service center.
Promotional demonstrations and trials
The initial Pendolino trainset destined for PKP Intercity was revealed in Italy on 17 June 2013. After its arrival in Poland on 12 August, it was publicly displayed at Wrocław Główny railway station. Subsequently, the train was transferred to the experimental circuit at the Test Track Centre near Żmigród, where testing commenced on 19 August. On 1 September, the unit was relocated to Warsaw for an undercarriage examination at Olszynka Grochowska. Toward the end of September, the Pendolino was exhibited at a trade fair held in Gdańsk. The second trainset, designated ED250-002, reached Poland on 24 October. Testing on the Żmigród track concluded by the end of that month.
Line tests began on 30 October, running between Warsaw Grochów and Konin, with speeds reaching 160 km/h. Further trials near Grybów evaluated performance on steep inclines and declines, while tests along the route from Nidzica to Olsztyn focused on negotiating tight curves. On 16 November 2013, trials started on the Central Rail Line, achieving velocities up to 242 km/h.
A new Polish rail speed record was set by ED250 on 17 November 2013 near the Pilica bridge at kilometer 184 of the Central Rail Line, reaching 270 km/h. This record was surpassed on 23 November when speeds of 291 km/h and subsequently 293 km/h were recorded—the highest ever attained by a Pendolino train globally.
Final safety system evaluations, including tests of the ETCS, took place during 7–8 December 2013. On 25 April 2014, a trainset was dispatched to an experimental track near Velim in the Czech Republic for additional ETCS odometric assessments. Testing resumed in July along the Central Rail Line and continued into September; on the 6th, brake efficiency and interactions with railway traffic control devices were examined across various lines in western Poland.
Delivery process
Transportation of the trainsets from the Italian-Austrian border into Poland was conducted by PKP Cargo as specialized shipments. By the close of 2013, four units had been delivered. Although the scheduled deadline for receiving the first eight Pendolino trains was set for 6 May 2014, certification delays postponed their formal acceptance. The initial type approval for these trainsets was granted on 11 September 2014. At that time, fourteen trains were already in Poland, with PKP Intercity formally accepting the first two by mid-October. By mid-November, seventeen units were present domestically, eleven of which had been approved; fifteen had received acceptance prior to commencing passenger operations on 14 December 2014.
The final trainset—numbered 001 and notable for setting a speed record—arrived on 14 February 2015 but subsequently returned to Italy for further testing procedures. By March 2015, eighteen trainsets had been accepted into service, with all twenty vehicles delivered by mid-2015.
As of March 2015, penalties imposed due to delivery delays amounted to €48 million. Arbitration proceedings between PKP Intercity and the manufacturer culminated in a December 2016 decision awarding PKP Intercity €42.3 million in compensation for these delays. In November 2017, the carrier received PLN 185 million plus accrued interest as settlement.
Supreme Audit Office assessment
In November 2015, the Supreme Audit Office published a report reviewing PKP Group activities from 2010 through 2013. It concluded that acquiring Pendolino trains capable of speeds between 220 and 250 km/h lacked coordination and economic justification. The audit emphasized that modernization delays by PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe and PKP Energetyka constrained these trains from operating at their full speed potential. The report recommended procuring trains with a maximum speed of around 200 km/h instead. Additionally, it criticized requirements imposed by EU funding mandating extra stops in smaller towns.
Further Testing
According to the agreement, the manufacturer was allotted a five-year period to obtain certification for Pendolino trains to run in Austria, the Czech Republic, and Germany. In early 2017, PKP Intercity dispatched one unit to Germany for evaluation on the Nuremberg-Ingolstadt line; it was brought back to Poland by June of that year. Additionally, in March 2017, trials were carried out to explore the feasibility of a Warsaw-Zakopane route.
In May 2018, testing took place within the Czech Republic on the stretch between Bohumin and Polom. By January 2019, PKP Intercity had leased the ED250-001 unit back to the manufacturer for continued assessments. Approval for operation in the Czech Republic was granted by September 2019.
Homologation procedures were conducted in Germany during 2020 and 2021, culminating in formal authorization issued on 15 December 2022. During measurement runs near Munich in April 2020, a brake hose failure resulted in a collision with a locomotive ahead.
As of March 2024, the Pendolino fleet completed full homologation approvals for rail networks across Germany, the Czech Republic, and Austria.
Maintenance Procedures
The ED250’s maintenance schedule includes four levels of inspections performed every 1.2 million kilometers. The first unit to undergo this milestone was ED250-006 in July 2017. These inspections take place at Alstom’s Piaseczno facility and encompass wheel replacements, bogie and traction motor overhauls, alongside other maintenance operations, each typically lasting around one month. Despite plans announced in January 2017 to install Wi-Fi systems, this upgrade was not initially implemented. By November 2018, inspections had been completed on 18 out of 20 units; two remained sidelined due to accident-related repairs.
Undercarriage Damage from Ballast Stones
On 19 January 2018, six ED250 units were temporarily removed from service following damage to their undercarriages caused by crushed stone debris. An investigative commission comprising representatives from PKP Intercity and PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe examined the issue and was later joined by the State Commission for Railway Accident Investigation. By early February, all affected trains had returned to operation.
The commission’s final report on 23 October attributed the damage incidents primarily to weather conditions that resulted in snow and ice buildup. In response, on 11 January 2019, speed restrictions were introduced, limiting trains to a maximum of 160 km/h to reduce risks related to ballast-induced harm.
Wi-Fi Implementation
Pendolino trains were delivered without factory-installed Wi-Fi or mobile signal amplifiers—features essential due to their design negatively impacting signal reception. Installing Wi-Fi required extended negotiations between Alstom and PKP Intercity since unauthorized modifications by the operator would void warranty coverage.
Towards the end of 2017, Internet connectivity tests were performed along the Warsaw–Kraków corridor in preparation for onboard Wi-Fi deployment. On 28 August 2018, PKP Intercity formalized an agreement with Alstom covering both Wi-Fi installation and a five-year maintenance contract. Installation was finalized on unit 018 by December of that year, followed by trial operations. By November 2019, Wi-Fi service was activated across all units except for one stationed in Italy that was undergoing repairs after an accident near Ozimek.
Design and Construction
PKP Intercity’s Pendolino fleet is derived from the New Pendolino platform. The inaugural train of this series was the ETR610 model introduced by Cisalpino in 2008. The Office of Rail Transport classifies this train as EMU250PKP.
Car body
The train cars utilize self-supporting structures constructed from lightweight aluminum alloy profiles connected via "dovetail" joints and assembled through robotic welding. The floor, side, front, and roof panels are manufactured separately, with window and door apertures milled prior to the final robotic assembly and welding process.
Passenger space
Seating arrangement within ED250 Pendolino series cars
| Car | Seating capacity | Restrooms | Luggage storage | Additional amenities | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Second class | First class | Wheelchair spaces | Dining car seats | Standard | Accessible | Staff | Small racks | Large racks | ||
| 1 | 45 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| 2 | 56 | 2 | 1 | 1 | Defibrillator available | |||||
| 3 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 1 | 1 | Bar area, conductor’s compartment | ||||
| 4 | 74 | 1 | 3 | 1 | ||||||
| 5 | 74 | 1 | 3 | 1 | Bicycle storage area | |||||
| 6 | 74 | 1 | 3 | 1 | Bicycle storage area | |||||
| 7 | 61 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Quiet zone | |||||
| Total: | 341 | 45 | 2 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 6 | |
Propulsion system
The ED250 fleet includes four motorized cars (numbers 1, 2, 6, and 7), each equipped with two powered bogies that have a single powered axle on the inner side. The AC pantographs are installed atop cars 3 and 6, while DC pantographs are mounted on cars 4 and 5. Traction converters and auxiliary inverters are located beneath cars 1, 2, 6, and 7. Traction transformers are positioned under cars 4 and 5.
Safety systems
To maintain operational safety across different countries, the trains are outfitted with several protection systems:
- ETCS – European Train Control System ensuring cross-border compatibility.
- SHP – A safety system specific to Poland.
- Mirel – Safety protocol used within the Czech Republic.
- LZB/PZB – Systems implemented in Germany and Austria.
Operation
Pendolino trains commenced service on 14 December 2014 under the Express InterCity Premium brand, initially linking Warsaw with Gdynia, Katowice, Kraków, and Wrocław. The network was extended on 13 December 2015 to serve Bielsko-Biała, Gliwice, and Rzeszów, followed by an expansion on 29 April 2016 to include Kołobrzeg and Jelenia Góra. On 15 December 2024, routes further expanded connecting Warsaw to Szczecin via Poznań.
Due to initial delivery setbacks, some EIP services were temporarily substituted with Express InterCity trains until the complete fleet was integrated by June 2015. The trains operate at a maximum speed of 200 km/h, with approximately 77 km of the initial 976 km network adapted for this velocity. On 27 July 2016, during World Youth Day events, ED250 units were operated in double traction for the first time.
In their inaugural year, Pendolino trains transported 3.56 million passengers across a distance of 6.32 million kilometers. By April 2019, total mileage reached 30 million kilometers with passenger numbers exceeding 17.5 million.
Significant incidents include a collision on 7 April 2017 near Chrząstowice involving ED250-002 and a truck, resulting in injuries and repair costs around €8.5 million. Another event occurred on 26 September 2017 when ED250-003 collided with a bus near Nasielsk; fortunately, no fatalities were reported.
Operations were halted in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but resumed on May 22, initially servicing routes between Kraków, Warsaw, and the Tricity region.