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.

Newag Impuls
Newag Impuls of Koleje Dolnośląskie in Wrocław, Poland
ManufacturerNewag
Family nameImpuls
Number built217 (additional 40 are on order)
Capacity107–218 seats
Operators
Specifications
Car length42.4–113.2 m (139 ft 1 in – 371 ft 5 in)
Width2.84 m (9 ft 4 in)
Height4.15 m (13 ft 7 in)
Articulated sections2–6
Maximum speed
  • 160 km/h (99 mph) for electrics and bi-mode version in electric mode
  • 120–130 km/h (75–81 mph) for diesel and bi-mode version in diesel mode
Power output1600–3200 kW for electrics
Electric system(s)3 kV DC overhead line
Current collector(s)pantograph
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge

By the end of 2020, 190 Impulses were ordered.

Description

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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 211 km/h (131 mph) 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, 226 km/h (140 mph), 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

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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][7]

Usage

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Country Owner Operator Type No.
of
cars
Image Number Year
  Poland Koleje Dolnośląskie 31WE 4   10 2013, 2015
36WEa 3   6 2014–2015
45WE 5   11 2017
36WEh 3   2 out of 6 2021–2022
Koleje Mazowieckie 45WE 5   12 2015
Koleje Wielkopolskie 36WEhd 3 4 out of 6 2020–2021, 2023
Łódzka Kolej Aglomeracyjna 36WEd 3   14 2018–2019
36WEh 3 0 out of 3 from 2023
Polregio 31WE 4   3 2017
PKP Szybka Kolej Miejska w Trójmieście 31WE 4   2 2016
SKM Warszawa 35WE 6   9 2012–2013
31WEba 4 0 out of 15 from 2022
45WE 5   6 from 2022
Lesser Poland Voivodeship Polregio 36WEa 3   6 2014–2015
31WEb 4 5 2021
Koleje Małopolskie 31WE 4   8 2016–2017
45WE 5   5 2016–2017
31WEb 4 4 2021
Lublin Voivodeship Polregio 37WEa 2 8 out of 9 from 2021
Lubusz Voivodeship Polregio 31WE 4   3 2014–2015
36WEhd 3 2 2020
Opole Voivodeship Polregio 36WEa 3   7 2016–2018
PKP Intercity TBC 6 0 out of 35 TBC[8]
Pomeranian Voivodeship Polregio 45WE 5   10 2018–2020
Silesian Voivodeship Koleje Śląskie 35WE 6   1 2012
36WEa 3   3 2014
Polregio 36WEa 3   3 2015
Subcarpathian Voivodeship Polregio 36WE 3   1 2013
37WE 2   2 2014
36WEa 3   1 2015
36WEdb 3   8 2020
Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship Polregio 36WEa 3   6 2014–2015
31WE 4 2 2018
Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship Polregio 37WE 2 1 2015
West Pomeranian Voivodeship Polregio 31WE 4   22 2013-2015, 2017–2018
36WEa 3   18 2017–2018
36WEh 3   7 out of 12 from 2020
  Italy Ferrovie del Sud Est 36WEb 3   11 out of 15 from 2019

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Description of Newag Impuls". Archived from the original on 2016-03-25. Retrieved 2015-10-10.
  2. ^ "Description of Newag Impuls". Archived from the original on 2016-03-25. Retrieved 2015-10-10.
  3. ^ "First Newag Impuls II EMU nears completion". Railway Gazette International. 16 April 2018. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  4. ^ "Hybrid Multiple Unit | NEWAG SA". Newag. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  5. ^ Haertle, Adam (2023-12-06). "Dieselgate, but for trains – some heavyweight hardware hacking". BadCyber. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
  6. ^ Mateusiak, Tomasz; Cieśla, Łukasz. "Były minister cyfryzacji potwierdza doniesienia Onetu. "Firma Newag potraktowała cyberbronią swoich własnych klientów"". wiadomosci.onet.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2023-12-06.
  7. ^ Redford; q3k; MrTick (2023-12-28), Breaking "DRM" in Polish trains, retrieved 2024-01-06{{citation}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ Batrak, Oleksandr (2024-05-24). "Newag to supply hybrid trains for PKP Intercity". Railway Supply. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
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