X60 is the designation of Storstockholms Lokaltrafik's new Coradia Nordic-model commuter trains, which replaced all the older commuter trainsets between 2006 and 2017. They are electric multiple units manufactured by the French manufacturer Alstom at their plant in Salzgitter, Germany.
Background
The original cars for the Stockholm commuter rail service, called X1, were delivered between 1967 and 1975. A batch of new cars, designated X10, were delivered between 1983 and 1993. These two sets of cars made up the backbone of the fleet from 1967 until 2005. As time went on and passengers demanded more comfortable travel and more features, SL came to realize that it was time to replace the older stock completely. The Regina model by Bombardier Transportation was originally considered, but was factored out due to poor acceleration and the lack of entrance doors, leading to the development of the brand-new X60 model. Delivery of the first 71 X60 sets took place from 2005 to 2008, and a further 12 identical units followed in 2012 with the designation X60A. These trains have been replacing the older stock as they are delivered. Service with the X60 was inaugurated on 13 August 2005 at Stockholm Central Station. Since 2016, 46 new sets, designated as X60B, are being added to the fleet. They are similar to the X60 and X60A but have several new components, including support for ERTMS/ETCS signalling equipment, which is planned to be installed in the new Citybanan tunnel and the rest of the commuter train network. For this reason, the X60B cannot be connected to the older X60 and X60A until the older trains have received the new onboard computer. The X60B cars are required because of the need to withdraw the older X10 cars, as the Citybanan stations have platform doors which are adopted to the X60, X60A and X60B, and all trains using the tunnel needed to have their doors on the same distance from each other as the original X60.
Safety and comfort
Each car is long and consists of six articulated portions. Each car can seat 374 and take 530 standees. Two such cars coupled together make up a full-length train. It is easy to go through the entire car to find an empty seat, or to move if one part of the car is crowded, and the design also provides visibility through the length of the car, which SL's passenger surveys found was important in order to help passengers feel safe. SL has also specified lower backrests in the X60 to improve visibility all the way through the car. Boarding and alighting from the new train is intended to be much easier than doing so on the older commuter train stock. At each door, and in 92% of each car, the floor is at the same level as the station platforms. This means a significant quality improvement for all passengers but particularly for the mobility-impaired. The train is built in accord with the new nominal platform height of specified for Stockholm commuter trains, higher than the normal Swedish Railway Administration's standard of. Passengers notice a significant improvement in the form of a much lower floor height compared to the earlier stock, making boarding and alighting much easier than before. In each car there are "flexible areas" that have room for wheelchairs, baby carriages and bicycles. Another new feature is that the trains are equipped with air conditioning in both the passenger and cab areas. The seats have been designed in collaboration with leading ergonomists and representatives for SL passengers. All cars have security cameras installed, just like the new Stockholm metro cars; this can contribute to increased security. Naturally, other safety details have also been carefully worked out, not least fire safety, with the use of nonflammable and self-extinguishing materials.
High environmental standards have shaped the choice of materials in the new commuter trains. 95% of a car can be recycled when they are ready to be scrapped. When the trains brake, the 3-phase motors act as generators and return electricity to the system rather than converting power to heat, as on a friction brake system. The current that is produced is conducted back to the overhead lines. If there is another train in the same electrical section, this train will use as much of the generated energy as it can. The trains are designed and built for Swedish weather conditions; This is done by utilizing the roof space for the traction /air supply and auxiliary power converters, rather than placing them underneath the unit. This means they suffer less from snow and ice accumulation, and it should be possible to operate them without service disruptions both in heavy snow and in hot summers. The technical systems in the train are "doubled," i.e. redundancy is provided, using microprocessor control systems, which greatly reduces the risk of service disruptions.
X61
X62
has bought eleven trains of this type for usage in these counties, e.g. on Botniabanan, delivered in 2012. They are called X62 and contain a bistro because of longer travel times, and have a top speed of 180 km/h. They have four passenger doors per side versus six or seven for X61. Otherwise, they are quite the same as X61 trains and it is also possible to make two or three connected four-car trainsets to get longer trains.
