The Stadler SPATZ or Schmalspur Panorama Trieb Zug ("Spatz" being the German word for "sparrow") is a
narrow gauge
A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge (distance between the rails) narrower than . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and .
Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with Minimum railw ...
multiple unit
A multiple-unit train (or multiple unit (MU)) is a self-propelled train composed of one or more Coach (rail), carriages joined, and where one or more of the carriages have the means of propulsion built in. By contrast, a locomotive-hauled ...
manufactured by
Stadler Rail
Stadler Rail AG is a Swiss manufacturer of railway rolling stock, with an original emphasis on regional train multiple units and trams, but moving also into Rapid transit, mass rapid transit, High-speed rail, high speed, Inter-city rail, interci ...
. It consists of three articulated sections. The centre section is high floor and contains the motors and traction equipment. The centre section is fitted with extra large panoramic windows. The end sections are similar to those of the
Stadler GTW
The Stadler GTW (, ) is an articulated railcar for local transport made by Stadler Rail of Switzerland.
History
The Biel–Täuffelen–Ins-Bahn near Bern, Switzerland was looking for a lighter train model to replace its aging fleet, so tha ...
. They are low-floor and have a bogie at the outer end and are supported by the central section at the inner end.
Stadler SPATZ units (classified as ABe 130) are used on the adhesion sections of the
Zentralbahn
The Zentralbahn is a Swiss railway company that owns and operates two connecting railway lines in Central Switzerland and the Bernese Oberland. It was created on January 1, 2005, with the acquisition of the independently owned Luzern–Sta ...
(Luzern S-Bahn and Interlaken – Meiringen). The units can work alone, in multiple or with a
control car
A control car, cab car (North America), control trailer, or driving trailer (UK, Ireland, Australia and India) is a non-powered rail vehicle from which a train can be operated. As dedicated vehicles or regular passenger cars, they have one or t ...
.
Stadler SPATZ units are also used by the
Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn
The Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn is a narrow gauge railway line and a railway company (Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn AG, MGB) in Switzerland. The track width is . It was created in 2003 through an amalgamation of Furka Oberalp Bahn (FO) and BVZ Zermatt ...
(as classes 2011, 2021 and 2051) and
SNCF
The Société nationale des chemins de fer français (, , SNCF ) is France's national State-owned enterprise, state-owned railway company. Founded in 1938, it operates the Rail transport in France, country's national rail traffic along with th ...
(as class Z 850) on the
Ligne de Saint Gervais - Vallorcine
The ''ligne'' ( ), or line or Paris line, is a historic unit of length used in France and elsewhere prior to the adoption of the metric system in the late 18th century, and used in various sciences after that time. The ''loi du 19 frimaire an V ...
.
Stadler Rail multiple units
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