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Thalys PBKA is a high-speed trainset, manufactured by the French company GEC-Alsthom, and used on the international Eurostar service. Originally built for Thalys (which later merged with Eurostar) they were intended to operate between Paris, Brussels, Köln (English: Cologne) and Amsterdam, forming the abbreviation PBKA. They were initially intended to be sole rolling stock of the service, but their extreme cost and complexity due to their quadri-current capability led the order of a simpler tri-current sister class, the Thalys PBA, a TGV Réseau derivative, with which they can work in multiple (coupled together).
| Thalys PBKA | |
|---|---|
Thalys PBKA at Eilendorf.
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Interior of Comfort (1st class) coach.
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| In service | 1998–present |
| Manufacturer | GEC-Alsthom |
| Family name | TGV |
| Constructed | 1995–1998 |
| Number built | 17 trainsets |
| Formation | 2 power cars + 8 passenger cars |
| Fleet numbers |
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| Capacity | 404 seats (120 first class, 284 second class) |
| Operators | Eurostar |
| Specifications | |
| Train length | 200 m (656 ft 2 in) |
| Maximum speed | 320 km/h (199 mph) (design) 300 km/h (186 mph) (service) |
| Weight | 383 t (844,000 lb) |
| Power output |
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| Electric system(s) |
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| Current collector(s) | Pantograph |
| Safety system(s) | ERTMS level 2, TVM-430, KVB, ATB |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
The PBKA trains are quadri-current, capable of operating under the same systems as the PBA sets: 25 kV 50 Hz AC (France), 3,000 V DC (Belgium) and 1,500 V DC (the Netherlands and parts of France), but with the addition of 15 kV 16.7 Hz AC (Germany).
They are a member of Alstom's TGV family of trains. Each set has a power car on each end with three first class cars, a bar car, and four second class cars in between.[1] The trains are 200 m (656 ft 2 in) in length, weighing a total of 383 tonnes (844,000 lb) with 404 seats (120 first class, 284 second class).[2]
Their maximum speed in regular service is 300 km/h (186 mph) with 8,800 kW (11,801 hp) under 25 kV AC, 200 km/h (124 mph) with 5,160 kW (6,920 hp) under 15 kV AC, and 220 km/h (137 mph) with 3,680 kW (4,935 hp) under 1,500 or 3,000 V DC.[3][2]
Seventeen trains were ordered: nine purchased by National Railway Company of Belgium, two by Deutsche Bahn of Germany, six by SNCF of France and two by Nederlandse Spoorwegen.
| Class | No. in Service | Year Built | Current Units | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series 4300 | 17 | 1995–1998 | 4301–4307 (7) | Purchased by SNCB |
| 4321–4322 (2) | Purchased by DB | |||
| 4331–4332 (2) | Purchased by NS | |||
| 4341–4346 (6) | Purchased by SNCF |
Media related to TGV PBKA at Wikimedia Commons