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European Railroad Discussion > Some passenger action on Brenner Pass (Italy/Austria)


Date: 01/28/25 10:26
Some passenger action on Brenner Pass (Italy/Austria)
Author: NMlurker

I had just an hour and change between trains at the summit of Brenner Pass at Brenner/Brennero in September 2024 and logged three Italian trains and one Austrian. I was focused on freight action that I will cover on Friday. The layout at Brenner/Brennero is a set of tracks on the west side that are nominally for northbound freights, a set of tracks on either side of the station for passenger trains plus a pair of stub-end tracks for the Austrian ÖBB trains that terminate at Brenner, and a set of tracks to the east that are nominally for southbound freights. Back in the day when Austria and Italy used different voltages, all trains would swap locomotives here but this no longer occurs for the most part, so either the voltages now agree or all these modern electrics are multi-voltage capable. I did see one freight swap locomotives. Freight trains also change crews but I did not see passenger trains change crews although I could have missed it. All images were taken on the Italian side of the border.

1. A locomotive-hauled train at the station led by an E464-class of passenger operator Trenitalia. The Internet says there are around 700 of this model in Italy!

2. A vertical view showing how deep the valley is at the top of the pass. The sunshades have been raised as departure nears.

3. An ETR 170-class Stadler FLIRT EMU departs from the station in what I am guessing is an 'eco' paint scheme that heralds the reduction of CO2 emissions. FLIRT stands for Fast Light Intercity and Regional Train. Note the searchlight-style signal in the distance.








Date: 01/28/25 10:41
Re: Some passenger action on Brenner Pass (Italy/Austria)
Author: NMlurker

Upon further review, there was an additional passenger train that ran straight through bypassing the station tracks. It was a northbound NightJet train behind a slightly graffitied ÖBB 1216-Class Taurus with ÖBB coaches.

4. An ETR 526-class Jazz EMU built by Alstom in the Trentino scheme of Trenitalia arrives at the station. Again, note the depth of the valley and the searchlight-style signals.

5. And shortly thereafter prepares to depart southbound from the station.

6. A southbound ÖBB RailJet makes its station stop led by an ÖBB 1216-Class Taurus in the standard red scheme. Many RailJets get a locomotive in a matching RailJet scheme.








Date: 01/28/25 11:57
Re: Some passenger action on Brenner Pass (Italy/Austria)
Author: boejoe

First time seeing rail pics at Brenner Pass.  Went through there in a car in 1962!
jb



Date: 01/28/25 19:08
Re: Some passenger action on Brenner Pass (Italy/Austria)
Author: GPutz

Thanks for posting these pictures.  My son and I had a great for three hours there is 2005.  Gerry



Date: 01/29/25 08:43
Re: Some passenger action on Brenner Pass (Italy/Austria)
Author: 86235

The voltages are still different, 15kV AC at 16 2/3 cycles in Austria, 3kV DC in Italy. The searchlight signals are Italian style.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/29/25 08:44 by 86235.



Date: 01/29/25 16:21
Re: Some passenger action on Brenner Pass (Italy/Austria)
Author: SOO6617

Austrian home signals are verticle rectangles, while the distant signals (vorsignals) are square.



Date: 01/30/25 18:40
Re: Some passenger action on Brenner Pass (Italy/Austria)
Author: Steinzeit2

boejoe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> First time seeing rail pics at Brenner Pass. 
> Went through there in a car in 1962!
> jb

When I went through there by road in 1959 the Italian side was festooned with "No Photography" signs;  the Italians were always concerned, with some justification, about the military aspects of the pass.  I never attempted photography at the station area;  "back in the day" Italian railway stations were not welcoming to railfans, in part because there were very few domestic ones, and in part just the Italian nature --  the farther south from Rome you went, the worse it was -- by the time you got to the heel there seemed to be hostility/suspicion against photographing anything later than Fourth Century AD....

The electrification at Brenner was always interesting.  Brenner of course was never meant to be a frontier station;  it just got that status when Italy betrayed Germany the first time, and was given the South Tirol as a 'reward' by the Allies.  In the late '20's both the FS and BBÖ electrified the gradients, FS using tri-phase [dual catenary wire ] AC, BUT the Italians refused to allow the Austrian wire to extend across the border and into Brenner station.  As a result the BBÖ had to build a new station, called Brennersee, just north of the border.  Here the Austrian pass/customs formalities were carried out, and Austrian steam locos dragged the trains to/from Brenner.  I don't know if there were military considerations in this or not, but that wouldn't surprise me*.  Practicality soon ruled, and in 1934 after a bit of station remodelling Austrian electric locos could enter Brenner;  there was a new island platform, and I think it allowed BBÖ electric locos to fully enter the station on these two tracks, suggesting that there were perhaps voltage switching arrangements for the catenary.  After the war the FS continued its program of extending 3000vdc catenary north, and the last section into Brenner was converted in the 1960's.  At some time [ when ? ] the electrical layout there was changed, with the catenary voltages just being divided midway along the platforms -- arriving Austrian locos would just lower there pans before entering the DC side, and just coast in and brake to a stop;  a switcher or the replacement loco would just grab it, move it to another track, and kick it back to the 15 kv side.  The reverse worked for the FS locos.  This procedure did give some trouble -- when DB E10's in pool service first showed up, their hot transformers from the climb suddenly lost all cooling.....

I have read that in 1944 the German 15 Kv electrical operation was extended farther south as an expedient -- but this could be a misunderstanding or my mistranslation, or the author's.  Does this sound familiar to anyone else ?

* Up until 1937 Mussolini and the Italian Army considered  Germany to be a possible and later a likely foe rather than an ally.

Best regards, SZ
 



Date: 01/31/25 04:45
Re: Some passenger action on Brenner Pass (Italy/Austria)
Author: railsmith

Steinzeit2 Wrote:
> * Up until 1937 Mussolini and the Italian Army
> considered  Germany to be a possible and later a
> likely foe rather than an ally.

Brennero station was the scene of two meetings in 1940 between Hitler and Mussolini, in March and October respectively. https://time.com/archive/6764161/foreign-news-200th-day/. In between the two, Italy joined the war.   

Some footage here, presumably of the March 18th meeting: https://www.britishpathe.com/asset/172952/



Date: 01/31/25 11:40
Re: Some passenger action on Brenner Pass (Italy/Austria)
Author: symph1

Steinzeit2 Wrote:

> When I went through there by road in 1959 the
> Italian side was festooned with "No Photography"
> signs; ... --  the farther
> south from Rome you went, the worse it was -- by
> the time you got to the heel there seemed to be
> hostility/suspicion against photographing anything
> later than Fourth Century AD....
>
Interesting, because in the past few years, I never had that experience. I've shot trains around Milan Central and Cinque Terre, in Sorrento, and in Taormina (that's in Sicily). I even got lots of the action as they split the train and loaded it onto the ferry across the Straits of Messina. So maybe folks have relaxed since your 1959 trip.



Date: 02/02/25 14:05
Re: Some passenger action on Brenner Pass (Italy/Austria)
Author: Steinzeit2

NM, this is another fine post;  thank you for this series.  I have two questions regarding your captions:

-  I notice the Railjet 1216 has its red "tail" lights on -- is this normal when the unit is stopped ?  Did you notice if car inspectors [ or a similar craft ] had to at least inspect each bogie of the cars ?  I ask because it was my understanding that the magnet brakes had to be physically locked up [ inoperative ] because their use was prohibited in Italy.

-  Did the Nightjet proceed through nonstopping ?  I thought all trains had to stop for the train control systems to be reset from Italian to German/Austrian standard, and this, plus an accompanying brake test,  at the least required a stop.  Also, it used to be that the 1216 class had to be stopped for voltage changeover -- but that might tie in with the brake systems change as well.

Best regards, SZ



Date: 02/02/25 15:15
Re: Some passenger action on Brenner Pass (Italy/Austria)
Author: Steinzeit2

symph1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Steinzeit2 Wrote:
> >
> Interesting, because in the past few years, I
> never had that experience........ So
> maybe folks have relaxed since your 1959 trip.

Yes, railway photography in Italy has changed a lot, especially in the last 30 - 35 years;  the growth of railfanning, such as magazines and books, together with model railroading, has helped tremendously.  The great expansion of tourism and the thinning of railway personnel are other factors. In subsequent trips in the '60's - '70's I just took less photos in the stations, though that of course wasn't always feasible. 

Best, SZ






Date: 02/02/25 16:14
Re: Some passenger action on Brenner Pass (Italy/Austria)
Author: Steinzeit2

railsmith Wrote:
>
> Brennero station was the scene of two meetings in
> 1940 between Hitler and Mussolini, in March and
> October respectively.
> https://time.com/archive/6764161/foreign-news-200t
> h-day/.........

I did look at the newsreel you referenced, along with a lot of still pictures and Italian newsreels, trying to figure out the voltage arrangements, especially for the trains arriving from the north, and I've come to the conclusion that the 15 kv wire did not extend the length of the platform on the east side, but rather, for most tracks apparently ended more or less midway with perhaps a neutral section -- much the same as in the DC era or now.  Hence arriving BBÖ / DRG locomotives had to coast in with pans lowered,

The Italian newsreels, as might be expected, are longer/better quality than the Pathe one;  The best two from a railway standpoint are not the 1940 visits, but Hitler's stop enroute to Rome in 1938, and a meeting with the Duce in 1941:

-  For the 1938 journey the Italians covered over the track on the east side of the island with a solid deck, enabling a wider expanse for a review of an Honor Guard.  Hitler's train arrives on the next track over, pulled by a pair of 1670 electrics, and these coast in.  Notable in the catenary poles are what I assume are the reverse of the "Lower Pantographs" signals..  There's no footage of the train leaving, but a pair of FS steamers, the leading one with flags/emblems etc, is shown.

-  The 1941 meeting has Hitler's train, relatively short, arriving behind a single locomotive, the year old E94 001, again with lowered pans.

I think that writeup from Time seems like a fantasy......  Perhaps it was written in London in March 1940.....

Best, SZ



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