The four new trains, which are fully compatible with the very latest 2014 Technical Specifications for Interoperability, will include the same features and technical specifications as the eight Pendolinos previously ordered. The 7-car trains will be 187 meters long, can accommodate approximately 480 passengers and will run at a maximum speed of 250 km/h. They have reduced CO2 emissions and a distributed traction system that regenerates energy while braking.
The first trains are currently under construction and are scheduled to be delivered in late 2017. They are expected to enter service in early 2018.
The contract was signed in Rome by NTV President Andrea Faragalli and Managing Director of Alstom in Italy Michele Viale.
"We are proud to be taking this next step with Alstom, our trusted historical partner," said Faragalli. "The expansion of the fleet to include 37 trains is part of our project for industrial renewal begun last year. Alstom’s Pendolino, thanks to its excellent performance on both high-speed and conventional lines, is perfectly suited to our needs. We want to increase the presence of high-speed services in the country and thanks to these four additional trains, we will serve new destinations and strengthen existing routes such as Milano-Napoli."
Andreas Knitter, senior vice president of Alstom Europe, remarked, "We are very pleased with NTV’s renewed confidence in our expertise, allowing us to further consolidate our partnership established in 2008. With its fleet of 12 new Pendolinos, NTV is joining the club of rail operators who have already chosen this train.”
“Pendolino is one of Alstom’s flagship products, made in Italy in our center of expertise for high speed, Savigliano. This new train will give us the opportunity to adapt Pendolino to the latest safety standards and interoperability in Europe, opening up more opportunities in foreign markets," added Knitter.
The Pendolino trains, in addition to the existing fleet of 25 AGVs, will bring up the NTV fleet to a total of 37 Avelia trains. This will allow the private Italian operator to expand its current network and respond to an increasing demand for new routes and higher frequencies. NTV passed the 9-million-passenger milestone in 2015 and is on track to reach 10 million in 2016.
Work on the design and manufacturing of the train in collaboration with Sesto San Giovanni (MI) for traction systems and Bologna for signaling systems is already taking place at the Savigliano site. The 30-year maintenance of the Pendolino trains for NTV will be performed in Alstom’s depot in Nola.