Dundee Tunnel Research

Train Information

The test train was an ETR 470 Pendolino (Cisalpino) manufactured by Astom. It had 9 units including the power cars at each end and its total length was 236.5 m. This is longer than most trains used during the commissioning period, making it attractive for the airshaft measurement programme.

ETR 470  train

ETR 470 similar to the test train

Best-fit values for the perimeter and area of the train cross-section are not known. Values of 11 m2 and 10 m2 respectively were used by DTR for pre-test purposes.

The ends of the power cars and the outer surfaces of the coaches are well streamlined.

Schedule

The train ran back and forth along the twin-track line, using the west track for both northbound and southbound travel. This freed the east track for other traffic, of which there was very little. There were no occasions on which the interval between successive trains would be expected to have a significant influence on the measured data.

The speed of the train was controlled in accordance with a predetermined schedule and has been recorded digitally from the train instruments The speeds listed in the table are approximate averages over the few seconds of travel between the test shaft (the south shaft of the Emmequerung Tunnel) and the south portal of the tunnel.

Most of the runs were on Thursday 14 October 2004. In addition, there was one run in each direction on Friday 15 October. It was originally expected that there would be several runs on the Friday and further runs on the Saturday, but these were cancelled after an incident not directly related to the measurements reported in these pages.

Run Direction Speed, km/h Date & approx time at shaft
35334 Southbound 157.5 Thu 14 Oct'04 09h 19m
35337 Northbound 177.5 Thu 14 Oct'04 09h 54m
35338 Southbound 163.5 Thu 14 Oct'04 10h 42m
35339 Northbound 198.5 Thu 14 Oct'04 11h 05m
35340 Southbound 202.0 Thu 14 Oct'04 11h 47m
35343 Northbound 204.0 Thu 14 Oct'04 12h 10m
35352 Southbound 202.0 Thu 14 Oct'04 14h 14m
35353 Northbound 196.0 Thu 14 Oct'04 14h 39m
35358 Southbound 198.0 Thu 14 Oct'04 15h 16m
35361 Northbound 198.5 Thu 14 Oct'04 15h 40m
35362 Southbound 197.5 Thu 14 Oct'04 16h 26m
35365 Northbound 147.5 Thu 14 Oct'04 16h 50m