An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple-unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive , as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages. An EMU is usually formed of two or more semi-permanently coupled carriages, but electrically powered single-unit railcars are also generally classed as EMUs. The great majority of EMUs are passenger trains, but versions also exist for carrying mail.
14-669: The Siemens Inspiro is a family of electric multiple unit trains designed and manufactured by Siemens Mobility since 2012 for metro systems. The product was launched on 19 September 2012 at the InnoTrans in Berlin. The first Inspiro entered service with Warsaw Metro on 6 October 2013. In October 2009, Siemens Mobility started development on a new subway product family. It collaborated with DesignworksUSA on design aspects. The company based its design on Modular Metro vehicles previously produced for Vienna, Oslo and Nuremberg. Siemens
28-589: The Budd Metroliner . EMUs powered by fuel cells are under development. If successful, this would avoid the need for an overhead line or third rail . An example is Alstom ’s hydrogen -powered Coradia iLint . The term hydrail has been coined for hydrogen-powered rail vehicles. Many battery electric multiple units are in operation around the world, with the take up being strong. Many are bi-modal taking energy from onboard battery banks and line pickups such as overhead wires or third rail. In most cases
42-525: The Munich U-Bahn in November 2010 (Class C2.11) with second option of 22 units in 2019 (Class C2.12) and third option of 24 units in 2020 (Class C2.13), bringing the total number to 67. MVG has designated the trains as Class C2, differentiating them from C1, which wasn't based on Inspiro. The delivery began in 2012 with the last unit to be delivered in 2024. VAG ordered 21 four-carriage trains for
56-538: The Nuremberg U-Bahn in 2015, designated as G1 , with the first entry into revenue service in 2020. Rapid KL - Kajang line in service 4-car trainsets configuration Warsaw Metro in service 6-car trainsets configuration Riyadh Metro upcoming 2-car and 4-car trainsets configuration for Line 1 and Line 2. Siemens was awarded a contract worth £1.5bn for 94 9-car sets based on the Inspiro to replace
70-622: The South Side Elevated Railroad (now part of the Chicago 'L' ) in 1897. In 1895, derived from his company's invention and production of direct current elevator control systems, Frank Sprague invented a multiple unit controller for electric train operation. This accelerated the construction of electric traction railways and trolley systems worldwide. Each car of the train has its own traction motors: by means of motor control relays in each car energized by train-line wires from
84-448: The ancillary equipment required per set) while allowing all cars to be powered, unlike a motor-trailer combination. Each car has only one control cab, located at the outer end of the pair, saving space and expense over a cab at both ends of each car. Disadvantages include a loss of operational flexibility, as trains must be multiples of two cars, and a failure on a single car could force removing both it and its partner from service. Some of
98-535: The existing 1973 Stock used on the Piccadilly line of the London Underground . The first of the type is expected to enter service in 2025. There are also options for a total of 250 trains allowing replacement of all existing trains on the deep-level Central , Waterloo & City and Bakerloo lines. Electric multiple unit EMUs are popular on commuter, and suburban rail networks around
112-441: The extra equipment needed to transmit electric power to the train can be difficult. Multiple unit train control was first used in the 1890s. The Liverpool Overhead Railway opened in 1893 with two-car electric multiple units, controllers in cabs at both ends directly controlling the traction current to motors on both cars. The multiple unit traction control system was developed by Frank Sprague and first applied and tested on
126-399: The front car all of the traction motors in the train are controlled in unison. The cars that form a complete EMU set can usually be separated by function into four types: power car, motor car, driving car, and trailer car. Each car can have more than one function, such as a motor-driving car or power-driving car. On third rail systems, the outer vehicles usually carry the pick up shoes with
140-874: The more famous electric multiple units in the world are high-speed trains: the Italian Pendolino and Frecciarossa 1000 , Shinkansen in Japan, the China Railway High-speed in China, ICE 3 in Germany, and the British Rail class 395 Javelin. The retired New York–Washington Metroliner service, first operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad and later by Amtrak , also featured high-speed electric multiple-unit cars, known as
154-624: The motor vehicles receiving the current via intra-unit connections . Many modern two-car EMU sets are set up as twin or "married pair" units. While both units in a married pair are typically driving motors, the ancillary equipment (air compressor and tanks, batteries and charging equipment, traction power and control equipment, etc.) are shared between the two cars in the set. Since neither car can operate without its "partner", such sets are permanently coupled and can only be split at maintenance facilities. Advantages of married pair units include weight and cost savings over single-unit cars (due to halving
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#1732780314099168-655: The older “Silver Arrows” (Type U). The first trains will be used on the U1 - U4 lines from 2023 and will be used automated on the U5 line from 2026. The Last cars operated 2030 (55th). 30 new metro 3-car trainsets have been ordered for the M3 line of the Sofia Metro to enter into service April 2020. The contract includes an option for 30 additional cars to extend these trains to 4 cars long. MVG has ordered first 21 six-carriage trains for
182-459: The world due to their fast acceleration and pollution-free operation, and are used on most rapid-transit systems. Being quieter than diesel multiple units (DMUs) and locomotive -hauled trains, EMUs can operate later at night and more frequently without disturbing nearby residents. In addition, tunnel design for EMU trains is simpler as no provision is needed for exhausting fumes, although retrofitting existing limited-clearance tunnels to accommodate
196-712: Was awarded a contract to supply 12 3-car driverless sets for the Sydney Metro Western Sydney Airport Line . Due to the higher overhead line voltage of 25 kV 50 Hz AC , these trains will be part of the Inspiro High Capacity (Inspiro HC) family. The first trains are expected to enter service in 2026. In September 2017, Wiener Linien ordered 34 new subway trains for the Vienna U-Bahn called Type X from Siemens Transportation Systems to replace
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