Alstom Pendolino Achieves 293 km/h in Poland
Alstom has set a new speed record in Poland with its Pendolino train, reaching 293 km/h during testing.
French train manufacturer Alstom has achieved a new speed record in Poland with its Pendolino train. During testing on the Góra Włodowska - Psary line, northwest of Krakow, the train reached a speed of 293 kilometers per hour.
The record was set during technical tests conducted in partnership with Alstom's customer, Polish operator PKP Intercity. These tests are part of the process to obtain circulation approval for the 20 Pendolino trains ordered by PKP Intercity in 2011. Successful completion of tests so far will allow PKP Intercity to commence operations by the end of 2014.
The contract with PKP Intercity also includes 17 years of maintenance and the construction of a new maintenance depot, scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2014. The trains will operate on routes connecting Warsaw, Gdansk, Gdynia, Krakow, Katowice, and Wroclaw.
Previously, the Polish speed record for rail transport was 250 km/h, also set by a Pendolino train in 1994. The highest speed recorded for a Pendolino train globally was 283 km/h in Italy in 2007. This latest achievement underscores Alstom's position in the high-speed rail market.