Above you see the first 3-car and the first multisystem FLIRT for Arriva in Limburg. It arrived, coming from Poland, in the Netherlands on 19.09.2017 via Venlo. The designated ‘550’ is the first of eight trains in this configuration (serie 550-557).
These EMUs are ordered for the future ‘drielandentreindienst’ connecting Liege/Luik in Belgium with Aachen/Aken in Germany via Maastricht and Heerlen in the Netherlands. These EMUs ar part of 36-unit order placed by Arriva in 2015:
- 15x 2-car single system 1500V DC, designated 450-464
- 8x 3-car multisystem 1500V + 3000V DC + 15kV 16 2/3Hz AC, designated 558-570
- 13x 3-car single system 1500V DC, designated 558-570
In December 2016, all 2-car sets were delivered and commissioned. They are operated on these lines:
- stoptrein: Maastricht-Randwyck – Maastricht – Heerlen
- sneltrein: Maastricht-Randwyck – Maastricht – Heerlen
- stoptrein: Maastricht-Randwyck – Maastricht – Sittard – Roermond
Before the the multisystem trains can be used, the line section between Heerlen (NL) and Herzogenrath (DE) needs to be electrified and the track needs to be doubled. This should all be ready in December 2017. The multisystem 3-trains will have fewer (3 in stead of 5), but wider doors on each side, compared to the ‘normal’ 3-car sets.
In 2020, the ‘Maaslijn’ (Roermond – Nijmegen) will be electrified. Than Arriva will need the normal 3-car trains, that will replace GTW DMUs that are in operation on this moment.
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