After additional research and documentation by IGB, the Protos trains can run in double traction and at the designed top speed of 160 km/h.
The new Protos trains for the so called “Valleilijn” have been in service since the end of 2007 with a provisional approval of the Dutch railway authorities. This admission was for a limited time only and included certain limitations regarding the allowable maximum speed and did not include double traction.
IGB provided assistance in order to obtain final approval of the Protos trains. Additional substantiation documentation was obtained from (sub-)suppliers such as the manufacturer of the driving gear, the German TÜV and the university of Berlin. Also some documentation like test plans was generated by IGB.
This documentation was checked and submitted to the Notified Body (Lloyd’s Register Rail Europe). The documents were reviewed and where necessary, additional information was requested from the suppliers. Also several tests on the trains were performed.
After approval of all the documents, a final approval was issued for service in double traction and for the design speed of 160 km/h.
