Class IRM "Regiorunner"


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Number series: 8601-8681, 8701-8746, 9401-9481, 9501-9546, 9547-9597
UIC Class: 94 84 4901/05/10/15/20/21/25/30 xxx-x
Number built: 178 (34 3-car and 47 4-car IRM, 13+51 4-car and 33 6-car VIRM)
Number in service: 76 4-car and 80 6-car (February 2009)
Introduced: 1994-1996, 2002-2005
Axle arrangement: 2'Bo'+2'2'(+2'Bo'+2'2)+2'2'+Bo'2'
Continuous power rating: 4x or 6x398 = 1592/2388kW
Maximum speed: 160km/h
Weight in working order: 234.6-236.8(4-car) or 350.1-352.3(6-car) tonnes
Length: 108.560m(4-car) or 162.000m(6-car)
Wheel diameter (new): 920mm
Motors: DMKT 60/45
Builder mechanical part: Talbot (Germany)
Builder electrical part: Holec
Passenger seating: 63/61 first and 326/330 second(4-car) or 132/129 first and 438/442 second class(6-car)

In 1994 the new InterRegio double-deck trainsets, called "Regiorunner" were introduced. 3- and 4-car trainsets were ordered, only differing in an extra car without motors. Trainsets with 3 cars are numbered in the 8200 series, 4-car units in the 8400 series. The trainsets have AC motors with a very good accelleration: from 0 to 140km/h in just 65 seconds. The trainsets of this class are the first trains in The Netherlands with air-conditioning. A special feature is the elevator for the "Railtender" trolley service, that is installed to be able to serve passengers on both the upper and the lower deck.
The trainsets of class DD-IRM are meant for InterRegio services, but the 3-train system was never implemented. They are now used for InterCity services, mainly on Amsterdam - The Hague, Amsterdam - Dordrecht - Vlissingen, Den Helder - Nijmegen and Utrecht - Eindhoven.
In 1997 two middle cars (AB5) of 4-car trainsets have been rebuilt with more first class seats. These cars are now very similar to the middle car of 3-car trainsets (AB4). The two trainsets in which these cars are used are numbered 8498/8499, and operate rush-hour trains between The Hague and Nijmegen.

In February 2000 252(!) new coaches of this class were ordered. All existing 3- car EMUs will be rebuilt to 4-car, all 4-car EMUs will be rebuilt to 6-car and 13 new 4-car plus 12 new 6-car EMUs will be built by Bombardier. The new coaches will get provisions for running under 25kV 50Hz. In this way 20% of all NS trains is already prepared for the "voltage of the future". Later in 2000 another 126 coaches for 21 6-car trainsets were ordered. With this order NS will in the end have 47 4-car and 80 6-car trainsets V-IRM.
The new numbering of the class is:

Note that the ABv6 coach of the 4-car trainsets is different from the one in the 6-car trainsets. Where the former has a compartment with 30 second class seats, the latter has a first class compartment with 23 seats.

The first four "enlarged" 4-car sets (9400) have entered service and were first be used on Amsterdam-Breda, Amsterdam-Vlissingen and Amsterdam-Den Haag CS services. Eleven of them were in service by the end of October 2002.
The first 6-car rebuilt sets have gone into service in the beginning of 2003, since April 2003 also the first "newly built" trainsets (class 8700 and 9500) are in service. At the end of 2004 the last remaining 3-car trainset (class 8200) went out of service and was rebuilt into class 9400. In May 2005 the last new unit was delivered.

In August 2005 - as a temporary measure - two coaches were removed from eight 6-car trainsets class 8600, leaving nine more class 9400 (actually 8400, to be exact). The spare coaches were stored in Amersfoort. They were re-joined with their trainsets in June-July 2006, more than early enough for the new timetable which starts in December 2006.

At the end of 2006 50 more 4-car trainsets were ordered by NS. These are very similar to class 9500, but there is no small elevators for the coffee trolley anymore so the stairs are much wider. In spring 2008 one trainset was added to this order (nrs. 9547-9597), of which the first entered service in August 2008.