User:SparklesTrainNerd/X31K

X31 is a railcar called class X31K in the Swedish naming system and ET in the Danish naming system. Manufacturer Bombardier Transportation calls them Crusalis Contessa and they are part of the Flexliner-family. They are propelled with electricity. The train type was used in the Öresundstågs traffic between Nivå/Østerport - Gothenburg/Kalmar/Karlskrona and in DSB's regional train in Denmark on the lines Kastrup - Slagelse, Helsingør - Roskilde and Østerport - Odense (Only weekends). X31 previously drove as DSB's own train on the line Köpenhamn-Ystad and as a InterCity-train on the West Coast Line in SJ's fleet.

Since march the 20:th of 2006 tri-coupled X31-trains can be seen during the morning over the Øresund Bridge. This means that the train has 9 cars and has 711 seats. During fall of 2008 DSB and the Danish Transport agency order another 10 trainsets, to be able to replace the IR4 that was used as a reserve train between Nivå and Kastrup. Another 11 trainsets got orderd by the Swedish county transport companies December 2009. According to Bombardier 111 sets been built. The first 67 trains where built at Kalmar Verkstad, but after the closure of Kalmar Verkstad 2005, production was moved to Germany.

In the report "Nytt tågkoncept för framtiden" Skånetrafiken notes that "The production line for Öresundståg (X31) is closed, which means that it is not possible to buy more of such vehicle to support the Öresunds traffic." This is confirmed in another two documents from Skånetrafiken. The last delivery of X31 was made in 2012 Where another 11 vehicles went to Transitio.

Skånetrafiken plans to buy another 10 used Öresundståg from Denmark during 2023/2024 to support the current Öresundstågssystem.

Wagon basket
A X31-train is hardly 79 meters long and has a empty weight around 157 ton. The train has three wagons, which corresponds to a en empty weight around 52 ton per wagon. The trainset has a total of 229 seats 20 seats are first class and another 20 are foldable seats in a so called low floor part in the middle. The wagon basket has a width of 297cm (X2 has 305 cm).

The wagon baskets are made out of maintenance-free stainless steel, but are still painted in a light gray color, to in appearance fit with the danish railcar-trains made in aluminum. From the outside they are recognized by being painted in gray color and having a special front that is black. Up to five trainsets can be connected together and driven. The front door in the driving cab get folded away and gives free passage between the whole train, Which is a safety requirement in the Drogdentunnel that is part of the Öresundsconnection. The train is equipped with emergency break blocking, that is a requirement for train to be allowed on the Öresundsconnection and trough the City tunnel. On the Öresundsconnection it is not, like some cases in Sweden, the train driver that is responsible for the passengers safety on railcar-trains, but the onboard staff that is particularity responsible according to Danish rules. The trains are routinely coupled and un-coupled. It is because particularity on the line Helsingborg–Østerport they want to have long trains, in peak traffic three X31 with three cars, at the same time. The trains are not allowed to be so long in the far parts of the Swedish network because of the short platforms, and long trains are not needed there as well.

Furnishings
Another train type called X32 got orderd 2002 by Skånetrafiken and Blekingetrafiken and was put in traffic on the Coast to Coast line between Gothenburg and Karlskrona/Kalmar. It was actually planned for the trainsets to be used as Øresundståg when the electrification of Blekinge Coast line was done, but at that time it was unclear if the current vehicle type was gonna get produced even when the line was done getting electrified. X32 was leased to SJ in the mean time.


 * järnväg.net - X31K