FLIRTs for ADY

The state-owned Azerbaijani operator ADY (Azərbaycan Dəmir Yolları) ordered ten five-car FLIRTs from Stadler on 27 November 2019, four DMUs for medium-distance transport and six EMUs, three of which are also for medium-distance transport and three for regional transport. The 115 million EUR contract also includes spare parts and depot equipment in Baku.

The first of these units were scheduled to be delivered in 2022, but were eventually delivered in 2023. This was due to the problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent war in Ukraine, so as a result of the sanctions against Russia and Belarus, Stadler gradually closed its Minsk (Fanipol) plant, after which the final assembly of these trains was moved to Siedlce.

The DMUs were designated Class DŞI, where "D" stands for diesel qatarı (diesel trains), "Ş" characterizes the name of Stadler and "I" stands for interregional (medium-distance) transport. All four DMUs were dispatched from Poland to Azerbaijan during December 2023 and, after the necessary tests, started operation on 14 June 2024, on the Baku - Agstafa line (in the west of the country, a distance of about 400 km). 

With the FLIRTs, the number of the Baku - Agstafa services was increased from one pair to two pairs daily. They depart from Baku to Agstafa at 8.00 h (train 732, arrival 13.07 h) and 18.00 h (train 734, arrival 23.07 h) and from Agstafa to Baku at 8.20 h (train 733, arrival 13.27 h) and 18.20 h (train 731, arrival 23.27 h). These trains with a journey time of 5 h 7 min are marked Stadler in the timetable.

Seats are desigend for first and second class. However, this is true in terms of design, and FLIRT DMUs have a total of four classes for passengers: Standard, Standard Plus, Business and First Class. Fares in these are as follows: 17 AZN (Azerbaijani manat, around 9 EUR), 22 AZN (around 11.7 EUR), 38 AZN (around 20.2 EUR) and 114 AZN (around 60 EUR).

In addition to the FLIRT trains, there is also an Ekspres service on the same route (not every day), but with a journey time of 6 h 25 min: train 72, departing Baku at 09.15 h and arriving in Agstafa at 15.40 h; in the other direction, train 71, Agstafa departure 15.00 h, Baku arrival 21.25 h. The Ekspres services have the Standard and Business classes, for 17 AZN and 38 AZN.

The FLIRT EMUs are designated Class EŞI - for interregional transport, and Class EŞR - for regional or suburban transport. The EŞI-001 and 002 arrived in Azerbaijan in July, and the EŞI-003 in August. The Class EŞR FLIRTs are due to follow by the end of this year.

Technical parameters

The FLIRTs for ADY were derived from the FLIRT G EMUs (the "G" indicates that they comply with GOST standards), the first version of which was built for the Belarusian Railways (BCh, Belarusskaya Chygunka), and were adapted to the conditions in Azerbaijan. They are designed to operate at temperatures from -40 to +45 °C and have a maximum speed of 160 km/h.

The FLIRT DMUs have a length of of 106,740 mm over the couplings  and consist of five passenger cars and a PowerPack module; four Deutz TCD 16 diesel engines are installed. The axle arrangement is Bo' 2' 2' 2' + 2' 2' 2' Bo', the maximum power at the wheel is 1,920 kW and the starting tractive effort is 200 kN. These trains have a total of 271 seats, eight of them in the Business Plus compartment. There is also a bistro on board.

The FLIRTs arrive at the time of the conversion of the power supply of the electrified ADY lines from 3 kV DC to 25 kV 50 Hz, so that is why the DMUs were delivered first, followed by the EMUs, which already have traction equipment only for 25 kV 50 Hz. The Class EŞI and EŞR EMUs are about 13 m shorter due to the absence of the PowerPack, giving a length of 92,960 mm over the couplings. Each train has two pantographs, one above the Jakob‘s bogies between the end car and the first intermediate car. The axle arrangement is Bo' 2' 2' 2' 2' Bo', with a rated power of 2,000 kW, a maximum power of 2,600 kW and a starting tractive effort of 200 kN.

All three FLIRT versions have a bodyshell width of 3,480 mm and a height of 4,600 mm above TOR, thus using the larger GOST loading gauge. The cars of the interregional FLIRTs are equipped with a 1,000 mm wide single-leaf entrance door on the sidewalls, while the regional Class EŞR EMUs have a two-leaf 1,300 mm wide door, one on each sidewall of the end cars and two on each sidewall of the intermediate cars. 

The Class EŞI units have a seating capacity of 236 passengers, eight of whom are in the Business Plus compartment; a bistro is again available. The Class EŞR units provide 255 seats, in second class only. All three types of FLIRTs are also equipped with wheelchair spaces, a compartment for conductors and three toilets (including one for passengers with reduced mobility).

ADY‘s Stadler-built fleet

While these are the first FLIRTs in Azerbaijan, they are not the first Stadler vehicles in the country. In 2015, ADY procured five KISS EMUs (EŞ2-003, 008, 009, 019 and 020), which were surplus from an initial order from Moskva-based Aeroexpress (AEX) for 24 trains. Due to the heavily falling ruble exchange rate at the time, AEX was forced to reduce the order to 11 KISSes, so the manufacturer sought other customers for the remainder.

ADY then intended to order five more KISSes in 2017, but only ordered four four-car sets in January 2018, of which EŞ2-015 and 016 were delivered in October 2018, and EŞ2-017 and 018 in December 2019. 

Another of the KISSes originally planned for Aeroexpress were eventually purchased by Georgian Railways (GR), where they are designated GRS-011 to 014.

The mysterious KISS DŞ2-001, which was built in 2021 at the Minsk works, cannot be forgotten either. No contract has been publicly announced for this five-car unit, as it is destined for the leadership (president) of Azerbaijan. This corresponds to the fact that some of the intermediate cars were specially modified in the interior compared to the standard Class EŞ2 EMUs.

The technical parameters of the vehicle were not disclosed by Stadler in 2021, on the grounds that they would not be available until the presentation, then announced for the end of June, which did not take place (at least for the public). The KISS carries the ADY livery but is not much used and is still at the Boyuk Shor depot in Baku. For its production, the bodyshells from the unrealised 25th KISS from the order for AEX were used (it was a "bonus" EMU to the originally ordered 24 KISSes of the Class ESh2). Anyway, it is the first ever KISS DMU; its PowerPack module can be recognized in the photo just behind the end car.

ADY has also ordered a total of (initially) 30 sleeping and dining cars from Stadler for the Baku - Tbilisi - Kars - Ankara - Istanbul services. However, this order was later reduced to 20 cars (two 10-car rakes); the first of these was delivered to Azerbaijan in March 2019. However, regular operations with passengers have not yet started, first due to political reasons regarding night services to Georgia and Turkey, then due to Covid, as the government decision extended the period of special quarantine regime on the territory of Azerbaijan until 1 July 2024 and land borders with neighbouring countries remain closed. If a decision is taken to open the borders, ADY is ready to start working with the relevant institutions to organise passenger transport in that direction.

ADY is currently experiencing growth in passenger numbers, with 4.524 million passengers for January to July 2024, up 20.5 % on the same period last year. The company intends to support this trend not only with new trains and the expansion of the range of services, but also with infrastructure development. According to 2023 data, approximately 60 % of the lines are electrified. This figure covers the main lines and is increasing as part of energy efficiency projects, including the aforementioned conversion of catenary voltage from 3 kV DC to 25 kV 50 Hz, now mainly in the direction from Baku to the west.