PKP class ED250


Alstom EMU250 is a seven-car standard gauge high-speed electric multiple unit from the Pendolino family, manufactured by Alstom at the factory in Savigliano, Italy, as the Alstom ETR 610 model, commissioned by PKP Intercity. A total of 20 units were produced, and since 14 December 2014, they have been operating Express InterCity Premium trains on routes connecting Warsaw with Bielsko-Biała, Gdynia, Gliwice, Jelenia Góra, Katowice, Kołobrzeg, Kraków, Rzeszów, Wrocław and Szczecin.

History

ETR460 tests in Poland

On 6 May 1994, a Pendolino ETR 460 train with tilting technology arrived in Poland for high-speed rail testing. The train consisted of three cars: a motorized head car, a motorized passenger car, and a trailer car.
On 9 May 1994, the train traveled under its own power from Katowice to Idzikowice for maximum speed tests on the Central Rail Line. A two-car formation was used for the tests, consisting of motor cars, one equipped with a current collector and driver's cab, and the other without a current collector but featuring a braking station at the rear. The train was powered by four traction motors with a total power of 2,000 kW. The test runs were conducted on a closed track between Strzałki, Biała Rawska, and. Tests began on the same day with a scheduled speed of 160 km/h. On May 10, seven runs were conducted, achieving maximum speeds of 183, 204, 227, 224, 236, 236, and 244 km/h. After analyzing data from the measuring equipment, current collector performance, and interaction with the overhead line, it was decided to attempt a higher speed. On May 11, the train reached speeds of 200 and 245 km/h on the test section. It was determined that the results justified an attempt to reach the ETR 460’s maximum speed of 250 km/h. The test commenced at 1:14 PM, and after 5 minutes and 47 seconds, around the 40th kilometer of the Central Rail Line near the Biała Rawska station, the train reached 250.1 km/h, setting a speed record for Central and Eastern Europe.
On 16 May 1994, a second series of tests began on the line from Warsaw to Gdańsk to evaluate the benefits of the tilting technology. In two test runs on the selected section, maximum speeds and lateral acceleration were recorded at 113 km/h with 0.6 m/s², and 122 km/h with 0.8 m/s². The following day, six more runs were conducted, and on May 18, in rainy conditions, two additional runs took place, yielding different results due to the changed weather conditions.
During the ETR 460's stay in Poland, lasting until 23 May 1994, in addition to test runs, promotional runs were conducted for invited guests on the route from Warsaw to Gdańsk, and the train was showcased at stations in Katowice, Częstochowa, Gdańsk, and Warsaw.
The positive results from all tests conducted in May 1994 demonstrated that it was possible in Poland to increase line speeds and improve rail travel comfort. In the mid-1990s, Polish State Railways began upgrading the partially overlapping E65 line on the route between Gdynia, Warsaw and Katowice. The main goal of this investment was to increase the allowable speeds and adapt the tracks for high-speed trains.

First tender

Following a financial analysis conducted in 1996, Polish State Railways management decided to launch a tender on 8 August 1997 for the supply of 16 tilting body trains. The two-stage tender process concluded on 20 July 1998 with Fiat Ferroviaria winning with its offer of the Pendolino ETR 460. The other two bidders, Siemens Mobility and Adtranz, filed appeals, but these were rejected on 21 August 1998 by the arbitration team of the.

Cancellation of the first tender

In 1998, the Supreme Audit Office began an inspection of the tender process, which concluded in February 1999. The report identified several shortcomings related to the preparation and conduct of the tender. The main reason for this assessment was the auditors' finding that Polish State Railways lacked the infrastructure necessary to utilize the capabilities of the ordered trains and was not financially prepared for the investment. It was also found that the decision to conduct the tender was based on financial results from 1996, and when the Polish State Railways management made the resolution to approve the selected train supplier, they did not support it with an up-to-date feasibility analysis. The Supreme Audit Office issued a recommendation to cease negotiations with Fiat and annul the tender. On 7 December 1999, the Polish State Railways management annulled the tender in line with the Supreme Audit Office's recommendations.

Second tender

In early August 2008, PKP Intercity announced a tender for the supply of 20 high-speed trainsets with a maximum speed of 250 km/h. Contrary to the initial plans, the required maximum speed was raised from 200 km/h to 250 km/h, and the requirement for a tilting body system was dropped. Six companies expressed interest in the tender: Alstom, AnsaldoBreda with Newag, Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles, Siemens Mobility, Bombardier Transportation with Pesa, and Talgo. In September 2010, the bids were opened, and Alstom was the sole bidder.
On 30 May 2011, PKP Intercity signed a contract with Alstom Transport worth 665 million euros for the delivery of 20 seven-car New Pendolino trains without a tilting mechanism, and the construction of a technical facility in Warsaw dedicated exclusively to maintaining high-speed rail rolling stock. The contract also includes technical maintenance of the trains for a period of up to 17 years. PKP Intercity received government guarantees for financing the purchase in accordance with the strategy adopted by the European Commission for the development of high-speed rail, and secured a loan from the European Investment Bank for 224 million euros.
In October 2012, the French company Karmar began construction of the technical facility for Pendolino trains at the Warsaw Grochów service station in the Olszynka Grochowska area of the Praga-Południe district. The investment included the construction of a hall comprising four service tracks, a wash facility, and office and social spaces. The construction of the base was completed in April 2014, at which time the delivered Pendolino trains were moved into the facility.

Promotional presentations and testing

On 17 June 2013, the first trainset for PKP Intercity was unveiled in Italy, and on August 12, after arriving in Poland, it was presented at Wrocław Główny railway station. The train was then transported to the experimental track of the Test Track Centre near Żmigród, where testing began on August 19. On September 1, the vehicle was moved to Warsaw for an undercarriage inspection at the facility in Olszynka Grochowska. At the end of September, Pendolino was showcased at the Trako fair in Gdańsk. The second trainset, ED250-002, arrived in Poland on October 24. By the end of October, testing on the Żmigród test track was completed. On October 30, tests on railway lines commenced, with the first route being the line from Warsaw Grochów to Konin, where the train reached a speed of 160 km/h. In the following days, Pendolino was tested near Grybów to evaluate its performance on steep gradients and descents, and on the line from Nidzica to Olsztyn to assess its behavior on tight curves. On 16 November 2013, Pendolino testing on the Central Rail Line began, and on the first day, the train reached a speed of 242 km/h.
On 17 November 2013, at the 184th kilometer of the Central Rail Line, the ED250 set a new speed record on Polish railway tracks, reaching 270 km/h, which was broken the following weekend. On 23 November 2013, the Pendolino train reached 291 km/h, and the next day it achieved 293 km/h. This is the highest speed ever reached in the history of Pendolino train operations worldwide.
During the final weekend of testing in Poland, between 7 and 8 December 2013, the operation of safety systems – ETCS and – was tested. On 25 April 2014, one of the trainsets was transported to the experimental track near Velim in the Czech Republic for further odometric ETCS testing. In July, odometric ETCS tests were conducted on the Central Rail Line, and on September 6, brake performance and its impact on railway traffic control devices were tested on several lines in western Poland.

Deliveries

The vehicles were delivered to Poland from the Italian-Austrian border by PKP Cargo as a special shipment. By the end of 2013, four trains had arrived in the country. The deadline for the delivery of the first eight Pendolino trains was 6 May 2014, but the trains were not handed over due to issues with obtaining certification. Ultimately, on September 11, the first trainsets received type approval from the Office of Rail Transport. By September, 14 trainsets were physically in Poland, and by mid-October, the first two trainsets were accepted by PKP Intercity. By mid-November, 17 trainsets were in Poland, of which 11 had been accepted. By the start of passenger services on 14 December 2014, 15 trainsets had been accepted. The final trainset, number 001, which set a new speed record, was delivered to Poland on 14 February 2015, and after testing, it had to return to Italy. By the end of March, 18 trainsets had been accepted, and the delivery of all 20 vehicles was completed by the end of the first half of 2015.
As of 18 March 2015, the penalties for delayed trainset deliveries amounted to 48 million euros. The validity of these penalties was the subject of arbitration between PKP Intercity and the manufacturer, in which, in December 2016, the court ruled that PKP Intercity was entitled to 42.3 million euros for delivery delays. Ultimately, in early November 2017, the carrier received 185 million PLN plus interest.

Supreme Audit Office review

In November 2015, the Supreme Audit Office released a report on the operations of the PKP Group from 2010 to 2013. In this report, the office stated that:
The actions of railway companies related to the acquisition of Pendolino trains for passenger transport at speeds of 220–250 km/h were uncoordinated, leading to an economically unjustified purchase.
NIK auditors found the purchase economically unjustified due to delays in the modernization of railway lines by PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe and PKP Energetyka, which prevented the full utilization of the trains' maximum speeds. In the auditors' opinion, it would have been more appropriate to purchase trains with a maximum speed of 200 km/h instead of 250 km/h. The auditors also criticized the need for additional stops in smaller towns due to EU funding requirements.