Emepa Alerce
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Emepa Alerce | |
|---|---|
 An Alerce pictured in 2015 | |
| Manufacturer | Emepa Group |
| Built at | Chascomús |
| Constructed | 2015 |
| Entered service | 2015 |
| Number built | 20 |
| Formation | 2 cars per trainset |
| Capacity | 120 per car |
| Operators | Trenes Argentinos |
| Lines served |
|
| Specifications | |
| Doors | 2 per side |
| Track gauge | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in), 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) |
The Alerce is an Argentine railcar produced by the Emepa Group in Chascomús, Buenos Aires Province.[1] As of 2015[update], the units are produced for the General Belgrano Railway's narrow gauge network and are currently used on commuter rail services, though a broad gauge variant is currently in the works. They are designed to be easily converted into Electric Multiple Units, though only diesel variants have been produced to date. The Alerce's namesake is the common name of Fitzroya cupressoides, a coniferous tree native to Argentina and Chile.
The first prototype of the Alerce began circulating the Belgrano Norte Line on test runs in 2012 from Boulogne Sur Mer to Retiro Belgrano railway station and the National Government then decided to purchase 20 trains from Emepa for use on the line.[2] Each train has a capacity for 240 passengers and feature intelligent doors, air conditioning, security cameras, disabled access and Wi-Fi.[3]
The Alerce's engine is located between the two carriages on its own articulated bogie with an access corridor between the two carriages.[4] The trains use 90% of its parts from Argentine origin, with the remaining 10% being specialised parts imported from abroad, such as the German brakes and Austrian intelligent doors.[5] The trains are also designed to be easily converted into Electric Multiple Units should the lines they run on be electrified.[6]
In June 2015 it was announced that Emepa would produce a broad gauge variant of the Alerce for use on local service on the General Roca Railway.[7]
