History
In 1978 the Ferrovie dello Stato received a series of prototype-EMUs, the so-called ″ Treni GAI″, that had for the first time a chopper technology instead of the classical electric equipment. As the tests of the ″treni GAI″ were positive, in May 1979 the FS ordered a series of EMUs derived from them. The lombard regional railway company FNM had already ordered in 1978 some similar railcars, numbered E.750. The FS ordered 60 trains, each made of 4 elements: 30 trains had two railcars and two trailers (ALe 724 + Le 884 + Le 883 + ALe 724) and due to their high acceleration were destined to the suburban services; the other 30 trains had only one railcar, with a driving trailer on the other side (ALe 724 + Le 884 + Le 884 + Le 724) and were destined to the regional services. Each train can carry 320 seated people. The trains were delivered from 1982 to 1984; 20 trains in the suburban composition went to the Naples metropolitan service substituting the older ALe 803. The other EMUs went to Milan and Turin.Cornolò (2011), p. 275–276.References
Bibliography
* Erminio Mascherpa: ''Arrivano le elettromotrici ALe 724.'' In: ″I Treni Oggi″ Nr. 23 (October 1982). P. 26–30. * Giovanni Cornolò: ''Automotrici elettriche dalle origini al 1983.'' Duegi Editrice, 2011 (reprint of 1985). P. 249–260.External links
{{FS EMUs and DMUs, collapsed ALe 724 Breda multiple units Railway locomotives introduced in 1982 3000 V DC multiple units