This article was originally posted on 04.02.2021 – and updated on 02.06.2021 (new information added; scroll down to see the update)
Delivering brand new, modern trains sounds like a dream job. And when it comes to these special transports, RailAdventure is the specialist. In the spotlight today: not one but two ongoing deliveries of fresh Siemens production. Can you guess where they’re headed to?
Yes, both trains are going in the same direction: Eastern Europe. And even beyond. The Smartron trip will be a bit shorter as these locomotives are intended for BDZ PP in Bulgaria. And then we have a ‘Velaro TR’ trainset for Turkish state operator TCDD.
The latest last Velaro for TCDD
Let’s start with the speedy one. Remember how TCDD ordered ten additional Velaros for its HST services? Railcolor News does. In fact, we covered the first one (80107) from that additional batch. And we also know what they look like passing by a scenic lake on the way to Turkey. It is remarkable that the order was extended, as the unit you see in this post is the 12th train of the batch – and the 19th in total. Siemens states that the last two trainsets are being delivered six months ahead of schedule.
‘HT 80118’ is carrying a special message: “Sonraki durak: Ankara – Türkiye (which means Next stop: Ankara – Turkey”), followed by the YHT (Turkish for HST) logo and and “Highspeed with Siemens.”
The video below shows the application process of these elements:
Update 02.06.2021
In an official press statement from today, Siemens Mobility confirms the completion of delivery of the TCDD Velaros. As of June 2021, the entire fleet of 19 trainsets is expected to be available for commercial services.
Three Smartrons for BDZ PP
But back to the locomotives. It is going really, really fast. Siemens started delivering its Smartron order for BDZ PP at the end of December and the first three (035, 036, and 037) are already driving passenger trains for the Bulgarian state operator. In fact, 037 was seen on its way to Bulgaria only two weeks ago.
Now, we observe the designated 80 038, 039, and 040 being delivered to the Balkan country. And if the current speed is maintained these might very well turn out to be operational by the end of next week.
A day later, on 03.02.2021 the trio was spotted at Gramatneusiedl in Austria:
The special RailAdventurous butterfly
Did you notice them already? There are special decorations on RailAdventures’ rolling stock. These are butterflies are the official symbol of German-Turkish friendship:
For our dedicated RailAdventure fleet overview, check out the page below:
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