Welcome to a different and somewhat special cab ride! Today we find ourselves in a SBB RABDe 500, better known as ICN. ICN is German and stands for InterCity Neigezug, intercity tilting train.
The idea behind tilting trains is to allow for faster cornering speeds than regular trains. This reduces travel time without the need to build new high-speed lines or heavily modifying existing tracks. Just compare a regular train to a car and a tilting train to a motorbike. Cornering fast in a car is possible, but wears the tires faster, is more dangerous than ordinary driving and the lateral forces are unpleasant to the passengers. On a motorbike, it is normal to lay into curves, which results in a little bit more pressure into the direction of seating, instead of lateral forces. Tilting trains are usually lighter than regular trains and the center of mass moves into the curve while tilting, reducing stress onto its own wheels and the infrastructure when compared to the same speed without tilting. But it is a fact that the higher speeds do cause more wear, even if it is reduced by the tilting motion. Everything comes at a price after all...
Our ICN takes us from Zurich to Biel, where it will be driven further to Lausanne by a colleague. It runs with a braking ratio of 180%, which is the highest of all trains in Switzerland. Most regular passenger trains run with 135 or 150%, cargo trains can be as low as 50%. The higher the number, the better a trains brakes are compared to its weight and the faster it can come to a stop. To show you the differences in speed between tilting trains and regular trains, the speeds will be displayed in the upper right corner, if applicable. If no speed is shown, tilting trains are not allowed to go faster than regular trains.
As always, sit back, enjoy and don't miss the action! The tilting motion is clearly visible at speeds above 60km/h. No worries: Most passengers are perfectly fine with the ICN! There are very few that get motion sick, since the ICNs tilting system does it's job very quick and precise, resulting in a smooth ride.
Locomotive/EMU: RABDe 500 (ICN)
Train stops at:
Zurich Main Station
Olten
Oensingen
Solothurn
Grenchen Süd
Biel/Bienne
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