SBB has announced the overhaul of seven of its first generation ETR 610 tilting trains to bring them in line with more modern vehicles in the fleet.
More luggage space, family zones, new toilets and a fire suppression system are at the centre of the CHF 80 million upgrade, which will be carried out at Alstom’s Savigliano works in Italy.
In 2004, Cisalpino – a joint venture between SBB and Trenitalia – ordered 14 ETR 610 Pendolinos to operate cross-border services between the two countries. When the joint venture ended, the operators took seven trains each.
These original units will now be updated to the standard of SBB’s newer ETR 610 trains ahead of the opening of the Gotthard Base Tunnel in December 2016.
The modernisation will also involve upgrading the existing onboard Wi-Fi and mobile phone service.
