OREANDA-NEWS. Alstom and NTV have signed a contract for the purchase of four Pendolino trains and related maintenance services. The contract was signed today in Rome by Andrea Faragalli, President of NTV and Michele Viale, Managing Director of Alstom in Italy. It also includes the extension of maintenance services for NTV’s entire fleet of Pendolino trains from 20 to 30 years. NTV thus leverages two options included in a previous contract signed with Alstom in October 2015 for the purchase of eight Pendolinos high-speed trains and associated maintenance. The first trains are currently under construction in Savigliano (CN) and are scheduled to be delivered in late 2017, and will be ready to enter service in early 2018.    

Pendolino is part of Alstom’s Avelia range of high-speed trains. The four new trains will include the same features and technical specifications as the eight Pendolinos previously ordered. Running at a maximum speed of 250 km/h, the 7-car trains will be 187 metres long and can accommodate around 480 passengers. The front end with its futuristic lines is designed to improve crash protection and enhance aerodynamics. The train is fully compatible with the very latest 2014 TSI regulations established by the European Union. The train is designed to be environmentally friendly, thanks to its high recyclability and reduced CO2 emissions. Moreover, its optimised distributed traction system enhances efficiency and acceleration and regenerates energy while braking.  

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, all travelling on board Alstom’s trains.

"We are proud to be taking this next step with Alstom, our trusted historical partner," said Andrea Faragalli, President of NTV. "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."