Class 390 Pendolino Tilting Trains, United Kingdom

Tilting trains can reduce journey times on conventional track, as opposed to purpose-built lines such as French LGV or German Neubaustrecke. By controlled tilting in relation to track conditions, centrifugal force that would otherwise cause passenger discomfort is much reduced. With no dedicated domestic high-speed lines realistically expected to be built in the UK, the Advanced Passenger Train was developed by British Rail during the 1970s.

However, costs and operational problems ended the project, with the powered tilt technology sold to Fiat Ferroviaria. Incorporating that technology into developments already in hand, the company, later to become part of Alstom, went on to create the Pendolino family. As well as the UK Class 390, other Pendolinos include the Italian ETR 450/460 and 470 Cisalpino; Portuguese Alfa Pendular; Finnish S220 and Czech CD680.

THE PROJECT

Following privatisation under the Railways Act 1993, Virgin Trains won the West Coast Main Line (WCML) franchise, inheriting hauled stock and Class 86/87/90 locomotives. With the West Midlands too close to London for high-volume airline competition, Virgin saw service improvements as the key to competing for lucrative business markets to north-west England and Scotland's central belt, the latter served by National Express East Coast via the more recently modernised East Coast Main Line.

Upgrading the run-down WCML and the £1.2bn Pendolino fleet order in 1997 was seen as the means of raising standards and giving faster journey times, such as Euston-Birmingham in one hour. Virgin planned for some operating and styling consistencies with the Bombardier-built diesel-electric non-tilt (Class 220) and tilting (Class 221) 'Voyagers' originally acquired for their Cross Country franchise, 17 of which were retained by Virgin following the remainder being transferred to Arriva (trading as CrossCountry) in November 2007.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Including part of the world's first mainline railway alignment, passing through many urban areas and notably sinuous north from Preston, the WCML lent itself to the gains available from tilt technology. Virgin's WCML services are from London Euston to Glasgow Central, with intensive schedules on 'branches' to Birmingham/Wolverhampton, Manchester and Liverpool.

Using the stock's 140mph (225km/h) capability required that moving block in-cab signalling would be part of what was effectively a route rebuild, scheduled by the then infrastructure operator Railtrack for completion in 2005, aspects of which were to become heavily amended. Realignments and quadrupling tracks in the Trent Valley section, the first new four-track section opened for testing in 2007, will assist in the segregation of Pendolino paths from local passenger services and freight flows.

On 23 February 2007, 390033 'City of Glasgow' derailed near Grayrigg, in north-west England. Reported as travelling at around 95mph, the train broke formation with coaches falling from an embankment.

Although there was one fatality and 22 injuries, the crash resistance of Pendolino stock received favourable media coverage. Set 390033 was subsequently withdrawn, exacerbating an already acute capacity problem.

A joint Network Rail/Virgin Trains report in September 2007 identified the incident as being caused by faulty Lambrigg 2B points and related poor inspection procedures.

SIGNALLING AND COMMUNICATIONS

Pendolinos were designed and wired for the Train Control System (TCS) to allow 140mph operation, on which Alstom worked with Railtrack at the Asfordby research facility with a 12 mile (19km) TCS-equipped test track. The failure of Railtrack meant that total WCML upgrading would extend this by up to five years; moreover, the projected signalling system was a casualty of cost escalation and the route maximum became 125mph (201km/h).

An in-seat audio system is fitted, with adjacent power supply for passengers' electronic devices. With four out of nine coaches and a third of its 439 seats allocated to First Class, Class 390 illustrates targeting of premium fare and business markets, a service supplemented by designated passenger lounges at principal stations.

Although WiFi is available in these lounges, Virgin did not follow its then ECML competitor GNER with on-board facilities. Consistent with the brand's operation in other fields, Virgin Trains maintains a high-profile presence through an extensive website and advertising in display, print and broadcast media.

ROLLING STOCK

Class 390 is a nine-coach electric multiple unit with a relatively narrow body profile influenced by tailoring a tilt profile to the UK loading gauge.

Bodies and much of the equipment was made in Italy, being assembled at Washwood Heath, the final rail product of the now-closed former Metro-Cammell site in Birmingham.

Passenger use began in connection with the 2002 Commonwealth Games, a preliminary to scheduled fleet services starting in early 2003.

Although the maximum speed potential is not currently used, Class 390 is fastest train operating in the UK apart from Eurostars using High Speed 1.

Concurrent with the current Virgin Trains franchise ending in 2012, the fleet is maintained under contract by Alstom (West Coast Traincare) at specialised facilities costing £23m. The main site is at Manchester Longsight, with satellite operations in Glasgow, Wolverhampton and Liverpool. As of 2007, Virgin required 46 serviceable sets to maintain its WCML services.

To enable haulage of Class 390 and Class 221 off electrified routes or in event of failures, Virgin maintains a strategically located fleet of Class 57 locomotives fitted with retractable Dellner couplings. In spite of initial teething troubles with the Pendolinos and some adverse comments about passenger space and fare levels, fleet availability has greatly improved and Virgin has enjoyed rising numbers using its WCML operation.

THE FUTURE

Timetable changes from 2008 will give more overall capacity from the Pendolino fleet, part of a programme of amendments that will effectively add (when including Virgin's remaining Class 221s) over 30% more services and around 10 million extra seats annually.

London to Glasgow is particularly sensitive to airline competition, with low-cost and established carriers having much capacity to sell on routes between south-east England and Glasgow and Prestwick airports. Achieving the full range of reductions is subject to complete WCML upgrading in 2009.

Raising the route maximum to 135mph (217km/h) is under consideration, partly dependent upon its acceptability given the line's prevailing signalling and fitting of European Train Control System (ETCS). By 2014, the standard time for Euston-Glasgow could be four hours.

With demand on the WCML showing no sign of slackening, in June 2008 the Department for Transport issued an 'Invitation to Tender for Service Provider' covering a complex arrangement whereby a new build of 106 new Pendolino vehicles (representing 7,420 extra seats) will be commissioned and integrated with the existing fleet.

There will be four new 11-vehicle sets for delivery 2011–2012, and pairs of vehicles deployed to create 31 other such formations from existing sets. With remaining sets staying at nine vehicles, this would create two types of formation, although there is an option – to be exercised by August 2010 – for the 21 remaining trains to be lengthened to 11 cars.

ith the process spreading across the end of the current WCML franchise in 2012, two companies were invited to tender; the present operator Virgin Trains and Govia, which runs the London Midland, Southern and Southeastern franchises.

In May 2008 Alstom announced the order to supply and maintain the new vehicles under a €1.8bn (£1.5bn) contract. They will be constructed in Italy, with train lengthening to be at Alstom's maintenance centre in Liverpool. The maintenance contract will be extended for an extra ten years from the original expiry date in 2012.