Newag Impuls Explained

Newag Impuls
Manufacturer:Newag
Family:Impuls
Numberbuilt:217 (additional 40 are on order)
Capacity:107–218 seats
Art-Sections:2–6
Electricsystem:3 kV DC overhead line
Collectionmethod:pantograph
Poweroutput:1600–3200 kW for electrics

Newag Impuls is a family of standard-gauge electric, diesel and bi-mode (hybrid) multiple units manufactured by Polish railway rolling stock manufacturer Newag. Manufactured in several versions, they differ in the number of cars and purpose. The company offers several versions: electric 2-car (types 37WE and 37WEa), 3-car (types 36WE, 36WEa, 36WEb, 36WEd), 4-car (type 31WE), 5-car (type 45WE) and 6-car (type 35WE) trainsets, and also diesel and bi-mode 3-car (types 36WEhd and 36WEh, respectively) ones.

By the end of 2020, 190 Impulses were ordered.

Description

The Impuls family of trains are low-floor multiple units equipped with a full interior monitoring system, air-conditioning, passenger information system and can have ticket dispensers if requested.

Their interior is suitable for the needs of passengers with reduced mobility. It features sloping floors, folded steps, broad aisles and a designated space for wheelchairs and bicycles. In the vehicle, motor bogies are used as well as Jacobs bogies (mounted between each two cars). The bogies have a modern gear system and two-stage spring suspension systems that effectively muffles vibrations, thus enhancing comfort while travelling.[1]

The trains can be built in various configurations. The two-car variant is known as "37WE", three-car "36WE", four-car "31WE", five-car "45WE" and six-car "35WE". The trains can have interiors equipped for commuter and suburban service but also for use on long-distance routes.[2]

The first design was launched in 2012. One of the trains, produced for Koleje Dolnośląskie, broke the Polish speed record of 211km/h in 2013 on the test track, on 7 September 2015 a Newag Impuls 45WE unit for Koleje Mazowieckie once again topped this record with what is now the current one, 226km/h, which makes it the fastest passenger train produced in Poland.

Newag launched a second generation of the design, named Impuls II, in 2017 with an order of 14 trainsets from Łódzka Kolej Aglomeracyjna.[3]

The bi-mode version's top speed is 120 km/h in diesel mode and 160 km/h in electric mode.[4]

2023 reveal of sabotage

In December 2023, it was revealed that Newag Impuls software had code that purposefully caused breakdowns of trains that were serviced by non-Newag workshops, were inactive for 10 days or fit in other arbitrary conditions, which has been likened to Dieselgate software manipulation. This was discovered by reverse engineers hired by Koleje Dolnośląskie and confirmed by former Polish minister of digital affairs Janusz Cieszyński.[5] [6]

Usage

Country OwnerOperator Type No.
of
cars
Image Number Year
Poland31WE 410 2013, 2015
36WEa 36 2014–2015
45WE 511 2017
36WEh32 out of 62021–2022
Koleje Mazowieckie45WE5122015
Koleje Wielkopolskie36WEhd34 out of 62020–2021, 2023
Łódzka Kolej Aglomeracyjna36WEd3142018–2019
36WEh30 out of 3from 2023
Polregio31WE432017
PKP Szybka Kolej Miejska w Trójmieście31WE422016
SKM Warszawa35WE692012–2013
31WEba40 out of 15from 2022
45WE56from 2022
Lesser Poland VoivodeshipPolregio36WEa362014–2015
31WEb452021
Koleje Małopolskie31WE 48 2016–2017
45WE55 2016–2017
31WEb442021
Lublin VoivodeshipPolregio37WEa28 out of 9from 2021
Lubusz VoivodeshipPolregio31WE432014–2015
36WEhd322020
Opole VoivodeshipPolregio36WEa372016–2018
PKP IntercityTBC60 out of 35TBC[7]
Pomeranian VoivodeshipPolregio45WE5102018–2020
Silesian VoivodeshipKoleje Śląskie35WE 61 2012
36WEa 33 2014
Polregio36WEa332015
Subcarpathian VoivodeshipPolregio36WE 31 2013
37WE 22 2014
36WEa 31 2015
36WEdb382020
Świętokrzyskie VoivodeshipPolregio36WEa 36 2014–2015
31WE 42 2018
Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship37WE 21 2015
West Pomeranian Voivodeship31WE 422 2013-2015, 2017–2018
36WEa 318 2017–2018
36WEh37 out of 12from 2020
ItalyFerrovie del Sud Est36WEb311 out of 15from 2019

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Description of Newag Impuls . 2015-10-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160325143632/http://www.newag.pl/en/oferta/elektryczne-zespoly-trakcyjne/impuls/ . 2016-03-25 . dead .
  2. Web site: Description of Newag Impuls . 2015-10-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160325143632/http://www.newag.pl/en/oferta/elektryczne-zespoly-trakcyjne/impuls/ . 2016-03-25 . dead .
  3. Web site: First Newag Impuls II EMU nears completion . Railway Gazette International . 16 April 2018 . 16 April 2018.
  4. Web site: Hybrid Multiple Unit NEWAG SA . Newag . 14 July 2021.
  5. Web site: Haertle . Adam . 2023-12-06 . Dieselgate, but for trains – some heavyweight hardware hacking . 2023-12-06 . BadCyber . en-US.
  6. Web site: Mateusiak . Tomasz . Cieśla . Łukasz . Były minister cyfryzacji potwierdza doniesienia Onetu. "Firma Newag potraktowała cyberbronią swoich własnych klientów" . 2023-12-06 . wiadomosci.onet.pl . pl.
  7. Web site: Batrak . Oleksandr . 2024-05-24 . Newag to supply hybrid trains for PKP Intercity . 2024-06-08 . Railway Supply . en-US.