Class 390 'Pendolino' Profile and Models

Pendolino unit at Rugeley in August 2014. ©Clagmaster

The Class 390 Pendolinos are a fleet of 9 and 11 car EMUs produced by Alstom for use on express passenger services along the West Coast Main Line between London and Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow and elsewhere. The trains utilise the Fiat Ferroviaria tilting system, allowing for a smoother ride at high speeds of up to 125mph in service. The class are one of the fastest domestic trains in the UK and are capable of completing the journey from London to Glasgow in under 4 hours. The class were ordered by Virgin Trains after taking over the Intercity West Coast franchise from British Rail, the operator had committed to replacing all of the electric loocmotives and Mk2 and Mk3 coaching stock which was currently operating on the route. For its time, the Pendolino featured a number of innovations in terms of its construction, safety systems and on-board passenger facilities. There were some delays to their introduction, mainly stemming from Railtrack, but the fleet were the dominant WCML class by 2004 to 2005. (Information provided via Wikipedia)
Type of Unit	Electric 25kV 50Hz AC Overhead
Builder	Alstom (& Fiat Ferroviaria for tilting system) Washwood Heath, UK & Savigliano, Italy
Build Dates	2001 to 2012
Total Built	57
Power Output	Class 390/0: 6,840 hp Class 390/1: 7,980 hp
Top Speed	In service: 125mph Design speed: 140mph Record speed: 145mph
Passenger Capacity	Class 390/0: 469 Class 390/1: 589
Operated By	Virgin Trains Avanti West Coast
Main Duties	Express Passenger
In Service Until	Present
Surviving Examples	56