FS Class ALe 724

FS Class ALe 724
ALe 724 in original livery
ALe 724 in XMPR livery
In service	1982-2023 (except reserve material)
Manufacturer	ALe 724: Breda, Fiore (mechanics) AMT, IMP (electrical equipment) Le 884: Breda Le 724: Stanga
Constructed	1982–1984
Number built	ALe 724: 90 units Le 884: 120 units Le 724: 30 units
Formation	ALe 724 + Le 884 + Le 884 + Le 724 (30 EMUs) ALe 724 + Le 884 + Le 884 + ALe 724 (30 EMUs)
Fleet numbers	ALe 724.001–090 Le 884.107–226 Le 724.001–030
Capacity	ALe 724: 72 seats Le 884: 88 seats Le 724: 72 seats
Operators	Trenitalia
Specifications
Car body construction	aluminium alloy
Car length	ALe 724: 24,900 mm (81 ft 8 in)
Width	ALe 724: 2,950 mm (9 ft 8 in)
Height	ALe 724: 3,176 mm (10 ft 5.0 in)
Floor height	1,055 mm (41.5 in)
Platform height	250 or 550 mm (9.8 in or 1 ft 9.7 in)
Doors	2 for each car
Maximum speed	140 km/h (87 mph)
Weight	ALe 724: 55 t (54.1 long tons; 60.6 short tons) Le 884: 30 t (29.5 long tons; 33.1 short tons) Le 724: 31 t (30.5 long tons; 34.2 short tons)
Traction system	electric
Acceleration	1.0 m/s2 (3.3 ft/s2)
Electric system(s)	3 kV DC, overhead line
Current collector(s)	Pantograph
UIC classification	ALe 724: Bo′Bo′ Le 884: 2′2′ Le 724: 2′2′
Bogies	Fiat
Coupling system	Scharfenberg
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The ALe 724 are a class of EMUs of the Italian Ferrovie dello Stato, projected for suburban and regional services.

History

In 1978 the Ferrovie dello Stato received a series of prototype-EMUs, the so-called "Treni GAI", that had for the first time a chopper technology instead of the classical electric equipment. ^[1]

As the tests of the "treni GAI" were positive, in May 1979 the FS ordered a series of EMUs derived from them. ^[2] The lombard regional railway company FNM had already ordered in 1978 some similar railcars, numbered E.750.

The FS ordered 60 trains, each made of 4 elements: 30 trains had two railcars and two trailers (ALe 724 + Le 884 + Le 883 + ALe 724) and due to their high acceleration were destined to the suburban services; the other 30 trains had only one railcar, with a driving trailer on the other side (ALe 724 + Le 884 + Le 884 + Le 724) and were destined to the regional services. ^[3] Each train can carry 320 seated people.

The trains were delivered from 1982 to 1984; 20 trains in the suburban composition went to the Naples metropolitan service substituting the older ALe 803. The other EMUs went to Milan and Turin. ^[4]

References

1. Cornolò (2011), p. 262–271.
2. Cornolò (2011), p. 273.
3. Mascherpa (1982), p. 27–28.
4. Cornolò (2011), p. 275–276.

Bibliography

• Erminio Mascherpa: Arrivano le elettromotrici ALe 724. In: "I Treni Oggi" Nr. 23 (October 1982). P. 26–30.
• Giovanni Cornolò: Automotrici elettriche dalle origini al 1983. Duegi Editrice, 2011 (reprint of 1985). P. 249–260.

External links

Media related to FS ALe 724 at Wikimedia Commons