SOB Traverso

The SOB Traverso, designated RABe 526, is a passenger articulated trainset manufactured by Stadler Rail for Südostbahn, a railway company in Switzerland. It is a derivative of the Stadler FLIRT and began entering service in 2019. Südostbahn employs the Traversos on long-distance routes such as the Voralpen-Express and the Treno Gottardo services over the traditional Gotthard railway.

History
Südostbahn (SOB) ordered six eight-car trainsets from Stadler Rail in June 2016, as part of an CHF170 million order that also included five four-car trainsets for use on local services. Südostbahn ordered eleven more eight-car trainsets in December 2017 to operate two InterRegio routes, dubbed Treno Gottardo, that would use the traditional route over the Gotthard railway. Under an agreement with Swiss Federal Railways, SOB would assume the operation of these services with the December 2020 timetable change. With SOB and SBB having made a further agreement for the joint operation of the Aare Linth between Bern and Chur, SOB ordered seven more trainsets in December 2018. Altogether the three orders cost CHF480 million.

As planned, the first Traversos began operation in December 2019 on the Voralpen-Express. The trains were painted in a copper livery that according to SOB symbolized "the historical development of human society." The Treno Gottardo trains, operating from Basel SBB and Zürich HB to Locarno, commenced in December 2020. SOB began running Traversos on the Aare Linth in December 2021.

Design
Each formation is composed of eight cars, with a normal seating capacity of 359. Altogether the formation is 150200 mm long. Cars are 2820 mm wide and stand 4120 mm tall. The cars are designed for low floor boarding; doors are 600 mm from the ground.

Traversos have both first- and second-class seating, 68 of the former and 291 of the latter. There are also 21 seats that can fold out for additional capacity. Vending machines provide on-board catering.