Technical Information
Originally a product from the firm of ADtranz, the RS1 is now being built and sold by Stadler Rail AG, since Bombardier Transportation had to sell the site at Berlin-Wilhelmsruh in 2001 for legal reasons when they took over ADtranz. The RS1 is a standard gauge railbus built to UIC standards, which therefore can withstand longitudinal forces of 1500 kN; it is available with centre buffer couplings or the usual European coupling and buffer equipment. 65% of the vehicle floor is low-level and designed for a platform height of 55 cm. On the Schönbuchbahn a special variant designed for 76 cm platforms is in use. The railbus has a high-level floor over the two four-wheeled bogies at each end.
Two independent diesel-mechanical drive units, e.g. from MAN, run either on diesel fuel or Biodiesel from rape seed oil, each drive both axles on one of the two bogies.
The RS1's appearance is striking because its window design looks like a timber-framed bridge support (or Warren truss), the angled bodyshell pillars being visible at the windows. This construction was originally proposed to ABB (later ADtranz) by Design Triangle during a research study into weight reduction for high speed trains. The study, reported in a paper to the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in 1996, showed that the diagonal pillar concept allowed mass reduction, improved passenger views and flexibility of seating layout, whilst maintaining adequate body strength and stiffness. ABB applied for a patent on the design. The Bombardier Itino uses a similar angled window pillar design. A similar window pillar design had been used on the Schienenzeppelin in 1929.
From an operational point of view the Regio-Shuttle may be used for one-man operations on full gauge railways without any restrictions. Its relatively small capacity (maximum under 170 passengers) is balanced by the fact that the vehicle can be driven in multiples of up to seven units. A rake of five RS1's can thus handle a maximum of just under 850 passengers, albeit somewhat uneconomical compared with a locomotive-hauled train due to the fuel consumption of its ten diesel motors.
In 2006 a Regio-Shuttle was converted by Voith. Amongst other things it was to have stricter exhaust emission and the top speed was to be raised to 140 km/h. A production series was to follow, however it looks as if the production of the Regio-Shuttle ceased in 2006. In 2007 and 2008 further orders followed from the ODEG, the HzL and Rhenus Veniro. Including the machines on order the total number of manufactureed Regio-Shuttles comes to 365 units. At the end of June 2008 the Deutsche Bahn AG agreed a contract with Stadler for the delivery of up to 60 Regio-Shuttles. These will be called off if DB Regio is successful in winning tenders and needs Regio-Shuttles for the services envisaged.
Read more about this topic: Stadler Regio-Shuttle RS1
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