All language subtitles for Building Giants Series 2 Part 5 Worlds Greatest Train 1080p EN SUB

Narrator: Racing across Italy
at 220 miles per hour...

[ whistle blows ]

...Is a $38 million
super machine.

The italians call it
the ferrari train.

Connecting milan, rome,
and naples, the italo agv

Is europe's fastest
passenger service.

What makes it so fast

And what stops it
from hurtling off the track

As it speeds passengers
from station to station?

From the intelligent roof-top
power supply

That feeds this beast
with 25,000 volts of electricity

To the innovative
electric engines

That propel it up
the steepest inclines...

We unlock
the engineering secrets

To reveal what it takes to build
the ultimate super train.

-- Captions by vitac --
www.Vitac.Com

Captions paid for by
discovery communications

Italy --

A nation of 60 million people
all in a rush to get somewhere.

Few places are busier
than the city of milan,

Italy's premiere business hub.

♪

Every day, more than 320,000
people travel

Through milan's central station.

They need fast,
reliable transportation

To industrial cities
in the north

And the capital of rome
in the south.

This is the machine they rely on
to keep their day on track...

...The italo agv.

With a maximum operating speed
of 223 miles per hour,

This is the fastest
train in europe.

Each train costs $38 million
to build.

The company that runs the train,
italo,

Has a fleet that services
21 italian cities,

Running an average
of 54 services

Between milan and rome each day.

A high-tech control center
guides these advanced trains

Along the tracks,

While engineers work 24/7
to keep them maintained.

To achieve this mission,
the agv train,

An acronym for
autmotrice à grande vitesse,

Meaning "high-speed,
self-propelled,"

Is built with innovative
technology.

Electric motors with power

Equivalent to a formula
one racecar,

Drive the train up inclines
at full speed.

A network of intelligent cables
channel 25,000 volts

Into the train's power system.

Ingenious friction-boosting
technology helps the train

Maintain grip
on the wet and greasy tracks.

All these elements combine
to make the agv

The ultimate high-speed train.

Today, the man at the controls
of this super train

Is driver dennis la raia.

It's 7:53 a.M.

♪

Dennis has just half an hour

To complete
his pre-flight checks.

His mission today is to safely
transport 460 passengers

Nearly 375 miles
from milan to rome

In 3 hours and 30 minutes.

And italo takes schedules

And first-class service
very seriously.

Breakdowns, late arrivals,
and uncomfortable rides

Risk damaging the operator's
reputation.

It's critical dennis
gets his train to rome on time.

But his machine must cover
nearly 375 miles

Of challenging track
to reach its final destination.

Dennis must guide the train
along a high-speed track

Through the suburbs of milan

And across northern Italy...

Before stopping
at reggio emilia.

The route crosses the apennines
and through tunnels,

Stopping in florence

Before negotiating the web
of suburban train lines

That lie north of the capital

To reach rome central station

3 hours and 30 minutes
after leaving milan.

♪

8:09 a.M.

Hundreds of passengers in milan
central's busy concourse

File onto platform 6
and board dennis' agv train.

8:12 a.M.

375 miles south in rome,

Italo's control room tracks
the position of every agv.

Operations director sofia apadul
must ensure every train

Is ready for dispatch.

[ telephone rings ]

♪

The train departs
right on time at 8:35 a.M.

As the on-board crew
serves passengers breakfast,

Dennis turns up power on
the train's 10 electric motors.

This is a machine
that is built to go fast.

With a top operational speed
of 223 miles per hour,

It's europe's fastest
passenger train.

And everybody on board expect it
to live up to that promise.

The first challenge for dennis
is to keep the train

Running fast along all sections
of the route to rome.

This will be no simple task.

Large sections
of track climb hills,

And these inclines
slow down traditional trains.

Many passenger trains are pulled

By a single locomotive
at the front...

Or pushed and pulled
at the same time

With a second locomotive,
adding power from the rear.

This standard configuration
is fast on flat terrain

But can rapidly
lose speed up hills.

When climbing inclines,

Train cars in the middle
lose forward momentum

And pull back
on the locomotive.

This slows the train.

When the locomotives increase
their power and accelerate,

The lagging carriages
are brought back up to speed,

But the train loses
valuable time.

♪

The engineers who built
this agv super train

Designed an ingenious solution

To help power
this machine up inclines.

This warehouse in southern Italy

Is where workers maintain
italo's 25-strong agv fleet.

Francesco fidanza leads the team
responsible for keeping

Every italo train running.

A critical inspection of this
train's set of wheels

Called bogeys

Reveals the machine's secret
for staying fast.

Innovative engineers lost
the traditional

Two-locomotive design

And decided to turn every
train car into a locomotive

To maintain this machine's
momentum up inclines.

They fit a pair
of state-of-the-art motors

To all 12 of the train's bogeys.

Each motor has the
equivalent horsepower

Of a formula one racecar.

The system is called
distributed power.

Distributed power spreads out
the agv's thrust

Along the length of a train.

This allows the train
to maintain a constant speed

So none of its carriages
will lose momentum

And drag the train back
when going up hill.

Each of the bogey's motors drive
a pair of the agv's wheels.

With each set of wheels
being powered separately,

Every carriage is able to pull
its own weight,

Boosting the train up inclines
with no drop in speed.

So the agv stays fast along
high-speed sections of track.

Now 20 miles into the journey,
the train is right on schedule.

Driver dennis puts the pedal
to the metal,

Accelerating the train to its
top speed of 223 miles per hour.

But to reach rome on time,

Dennis must keep the over
880,000-pound train

Close to full speed.

And at this rate,
it's a complicated maneuver.

What technology
keeps the agv fed

With 25,000 volts
of electricity?

And what is this train's secret
to staying on the rails?

♪

Narrator: In northern Italy,
the italo agv high-speed train

Is nearly a quarter of the way

Into its journey
from milan to rome.

Onboard, 460 passengers
need to arrive

In Italy's capital on time.

The company stakes
its reputation on each train

Reaching
its destination on time,

And this one has exactly
three hours

And 30 minutes
to achieve its mission.

90 miles into the trip,

Driver dennis makes a stop
at reggio emilia to drop off

And pick up new passengers.

It's the job of train manager
angelo pansera

To get 70 new passengers
aboard in just 2 minutes.

It's not as easy as it sounds.

An error causes the train's cars
to be incorrectly numbered.

Confused passengers struggle
to find their seats,

And the clock is ticking.

Once all passengers are onboard,

Dennis powers his supertrain
towards rome,

And angelo can get back
to business as usual.

But the delay causes
the train to be

Two minutes behind schedule.

For dennis' agv to pick up pace
and reach rome on time,

The train must be fed
with a reliable stream

Of electric power.

The italo agv's speed comes from
25,000 volts of electricity.

It passes through
overhead cables

That are strung above the track.

The electricity powers
the train's 10 motors

And all its onboard systems.

Electricity flows from
the cables to the train

Through steel arms
called pantographs.

Keeping the pantograph
in contact with the train

While traveling
at 223 miles per hour

Is a huge engineering challenge.

♪

The connection between
the cables and pantographs

Must be perfect.

The cables have a natural sag,

While small bumps occur
along the course of the track.

These two variables affect
the distance

Between the train
and its power source.

If the pantograph presses
too hard

Or is misaligned
with the cables,

It could damage
valuable infrastructure

Or destroy
the pantograph itself.

If the pantograph loses contact,

Electricity could arc across
the gap

Between the conductor
and the cable.

This could potentially trigger
a fire

And endanger
the passengers and crew,

And there are recent examples
of all of these failures.

This footage from a
track-monitoring car in germany

Shows what can happen
when a pantograph is broken.

The steel arm disintegrates and
brings down overhead cables,

Causing many thousands
of dollars of damage.

While sometimes bad weather,
such as ice,

Prevents a perfect connection,

An electricity arcs
between pantograph and cable.

And, in extreme circumstances,

Electrical arcing causes
a short-circuit.

This footage shows how
electrical overloads

Can result in train cars
being set on fire.

♪

To ensure pantographs on dennis'
train stay in perfect contact,

The agv's engineers built
a simple but ingenious solution

Into this machine.

♪

The key to the pantograph

Maintaining exactly
the right contact

With the overhead wires
is hidden inside its base.

A pneumatic cylinder pulls down
on the pantograph's steel arm

With the optimum pressure.

The system is
computer-controlled.

It intelligently adjusts the
pantograph's position relative

To cable to ensure
the articulated arms

Don't crash into
or pull away from the cable.

♪

The pantograph's pneumatic
cylinders

Guarantee dennis' train

Has a safe
and constant power supply,

But engineers can't prevent
everyday wear and tear.

Friction from the overhead
cable degrades

The pantograph over time.

This can increase the danger
of mechanical breakdown,

Destroying any chance

Dennis' train
has of reaching rome on time.

Italo's fleet of machines
undergoes regular checks here

At the train's maintenance
depot in southern Italy

To ensure all the pantographs
are in full working order.

Engineer francesco fidanza
must ensure his team remains

Protected from 25,000 volts
of electricity

As they gear up
for today's inspection.

With the train locked down,
the maintenance crew gets busy.

This nearly five-foot-long strip
of graphite,

Fixed to the leading edge
of the pantograph,

Is the train's secret to beating
damaged caused by friction.

Graphite is heat-resistant
and conducts electricity.

The strip wears away, protecting
both the overhead cables

And the pantograph's metal frame
from damage.

Every 4,660 miles, engineers
check that the graphite strips

Are still thick enough
to be safe.

If not, there's the possibility
they could damage power lines

And start a fire.

The maintenance crew removes
any rough edges from the strip

To improve contact
with the cables before the train

Leaves the warehouse
to re-enter service.

♪

It's the ingenious
graphite strips

Built into the agv that means
dennis can draw down

7,500 kilowatts of electricity
into the train's 10 motors,

Power his passengers
towards rome

At 223 miles per hour.

But up ahead,
a new challenge awaits...

...The apennine mountains.

Here, the track bends around
tight corners,

And the terrain is uneven,

So passing
over dozens of bridges

And viaducts
makes for a very bumpy journey.

How does this supertrain
beat topography

And uneven track to guarantee
a smooth ride?

And what's its engineering
secret for staying on the rails

While traveling at full speed?

♪

Narrator:
In Italy, the agv is 135 miles

Into its journey
from milan to rome.

The passengers onboard expect

To reach their destination
on time.

The train's operator, italo,

Enforces a policy of never being
more than five minutes late.

To deliver on that promise,

This machine is built
for one thing -- speed.

The ultimate fast-passenger
train

Was built by one of the world's

Most advanced train
construction companies.

French manufacturer alstom's
30 worldwide production lines

Build state-of-the-art
locomotives and train cars.

To make their train shells,

Machines fitted
with oxy acetylene

Cut 43,000 square feet
of paneling

From sheets
of super-thin aluminum.

The metal's light weight
makes the train fast.

The wheels for the carriages
are made

From specialty hardened steel
made to be robust enough

To stand up to spinning at
1,700 rpm for hours at a time.

Each train is made up of
thousands of components,

Which come together
on the world's longest

Train production line.

It takes two years to engineer

And build a train from raw
components to finished product.

In 2018, these factories
produced $9 billion

Worth of trains for 280
different train operators.

Now, 120 miles from rome,

Dennis' train is running
two minutes behind schedule...

...And the journey up ahead
won't be easy.

The track across the apennine's
foothills twists

And turns through
extremely hilly terrain.

It's critical the train stays
on the rails around every bend.

Leaving the track at high speed

Could have
devastating consequences.

July 24, 2013.

This alvia train crashed as it
entered a tight bend at more

Than twice the 50-mile-per-hour
speed limit.

The derailment near santiago
de compostela, Spain,

Reportedly killed 80 people
and injured 144.

Investigators concluded
the train's high speed

Caused the crash.

To prevent disasters like this
from happening to italo's agv,

Engineers fit the train
with an automatic speed limiter.

If a driver attempts to go over
the limit,

The train self-regulates
the brakes to slow the machine

Down to the correct speed.

Firmly attached to the rails,

The agv safely speeds through
dozens of bridges and viaducts

That span across the
apennine's mountainous terrain.

All cross-country trains travel
on rails

Laid on top of railroad ties.

The ties are often embedded
in a layer of rough stones

That run on top
of an earth embankment.

Over time, small movements
in the soil beds down the track.

But where the track crosses
viaducts and bridges,

Its ties are fixed to
immovable concrete structures.

Small bumps can form in the
track at the transition points

Between soft embankment
and rigid bridge.

They won't derail the train,
but, at 223 miles per hour,

They can make passengers
very uncomfortable.

♪

Italo's reputation depends on
giving passengers a smooth ride

Through all stages
of the journey.

To beat the bumps, engineers
build a two-layer solution

Into the train's wheel bogies.

Detaching a bogie
from its carriage

Reveals the secret
to a smooth ride.

Layer one -- four
9.5-inch-long coiled springs

Made from high-density steel

And a set of hydraulic
piston dampeners

Mounted on the bogie's side.

Layer two -- a pair of bags
made from tough rubber

On either side of the bogie.

The agv's train carriages
sit on top.

The layers work together
to iron out jolts and shakes.

The coiled springs compress
to absorb the impact

From the bogies' wheels
hitting bumps in the track.

Pistons inside the hydraulic
dampeners

Soak up jerky
sideways movements

To keep the train's wheels
on the rails.

The inflatable bags adjust
the level of cushioning

Depending on the number
of passengers onboard the agv.

Thanks to its ingenious
suspension system,

Passengers on this train enjoy
the most comfortable of rides.

The silky-smooth suspension
allows dennis

To keep his train
close to maximum speed.

And he's finally able to
to recover from the time lost

At their first stop point.

But up ahead lies a challenge
that, if not handled correctly,

Threatens to not only push
the train behind schedule again

But harm its passengers.

What feats of engineering allow
this supertrain

To blast through tunnels
at 223 miles per hour,

And what keeps its wheels firmly
on the slippery track?

Narrator:
The groundbreaking italo agv

Is nearly halfway into
its journey from milan to rome.

The train is right on schedule

As it speeds passengers
into the apennine mountains.

Up front, driver dennis
negotiates the train

Around tight bends
at 223 miles per hour.

Traveling this fast leaves
little time to react

If there's the need
to make an emergency stop.

♪

To keep both the driver
and passengers safe

In the event of a collision,

Engineers build in
an innovative protection system.

The nose is this train's
first line of defense.

Inside are three layers
of protection --

A piston for absorbing
extreme impacts at the front,

A steel plate
with five crumple zones,

And a crash-proof driver's cage
made from high-density steel.

Crash tests show
the safety system

Absorbs the impact of a truck

Traveling at over
60 miles per hour,

Greatly increasing the driver's
chances of surviving a crash.

♪

The italo agv train is now deep
in the apennine mountains.

The fastest route through
is via a series of nine tunnels,

Some up to 12 miles long.

Driving a train through a tunnel
at high speed

Is a formidable
engineering challenge.

Air inside a tunnel is trapped
within a confined space.

When a train speeds into
a tunnel at 223 miles per hour,

It compresses the air inside.

Like a piston,
the front of the train

Pushes along a cushion of air.

As a result,
the air pressure drops rapidly.

This sudden change of pressure
could damage

The most pressure-sensitive part
of the passengers' bodies --

Their eardrums, making
their journey very painful.

♪

As the train nears the tunnel,
dennis activates the flaps.

The train is now
completely sealed.

It enters this 12-mile-long
tunnel at 223 miles per hour.

Meanwhile, the passengers
feel nothing.

♪

Outside the tunnel,
dennis unseals the carriages.

Through the apennines,
his train continues on.

♪

Within 10 minutes, he arrives
at the next stop -- florence.

♪

This station is unique.

It requires dennis

To pull out of the station
the same way he came in.

♪

To do this, he must switch
to the driver cab

At the other end of the train.

This is a well-coordinated
procedure.

It must be executed correctly
in order for the train

To leave on time.

♪

With all passengers
finally aboard,

Dennis kicks the train into gear

And accelerates out
of florence station.

♪

The agv has just 90 minutes
to reach rome.

Dennis must push the train
to the max.

But the stresses and strains
of the task

Increase the risk
of mechanical failure.

What makes this supertrain
strong enough to stand up

To these extreme circumstances,

And what stops
its polished steel wheels

From spinning out of control?

♪

Narrator: The italo agv

Is 250 miles into
its journey from milan to rome.

Italo's reputation
with its passengers

Relies on the train
arriving on time.

Driver dennis once again
pushes the train up

To its top operational speed
of 223 miles per hour.

So far, the train has traveled
at top speed

For 50% of its journey.

The longer the train travels
at its highest capacity,

The greater the stress
on its components.

At the train's top speed,

The agv's wheels and axles
turn at 1,700 rpm.

This huge stress, together with
extreme heating

Caused by friction
with the track,

Increases the risk
they could shatter,

Potentially leading to disaster.

December 20, 1984 --

Fire erupts from
a ventilation shaft

Connected to summit hill
rail tunnel

In the united kingdom.

The cause of the blaze --

A freight train
hauling 13 tankers

Carrying nearly
265,000 gallons of fuel.

A defective axle bearing on one
of the tankers breaks.

It causes the train to come off
the tracks

And all the tankers
behind to derail.

The fuel ignites,

Causing one of the largest
tunnel fires to date.

Luckily, no one is killed
or seriously injured.

♪

To prevent this disaster
from happening on the agv,

Engineers designed wheels

That can withstand
extreme conditions.

Each of the train's 48 wheels

Is made from a single
2,645-pound piece of steel.

During forging, each wheel
is quenched in liquid.

The exterior cools rapidly,
creating a hard surface.

The core cools slowly,
making it more flexible.

The wheel's soft interiors
absorb extreme shocks

And stresses.

The hard exterior
can pound the track

For over 650,000 miles.

The wheels and axles are tough,

But they can develop
microscopic fractures

That weaken the metal
to the point it breaks apart.

Regular checkups are critical
to identify

Potentially dangerous defects
before it's too late.

The cracks are too small to see
with a human eye,

So engineers
use ultrasonic testing

To look inside the metal.

The scanner sends a sound wave
into this train axle.

The strength of the sound's
reflection alerts engineers

If there's a dangerous
defect hidden inside.

Super tough wheels give dennis
the confidence

To push onto rome at top speed.

The italian capital is now
less than 65 miles away,

And the clock is ticking.

Commuters onboard expect
to reach their destination

In half an hour,
but ahead lies a challenge

That threatens to push
the train behind schedule --

Hazards on the line itself.

Mud, leaves, and other organic
material on the metal tracks

Can make them slippery, causing
the agv's wheels to lose grip.

♪

A lack of grip between
the wheels and the track

Could cause the train to skid.

This could greatly affect
the ability of the train

To stop in an emergency.

In the worst case,
the skid could cause a train

To come off the rails.

♪

To beat the skid, engineers
build four special boxes

Into the nose of the train.

Combined, they contain a total
of 175 pounds of coarse sand.

A pipe connects the box
to an outlet

Directly in front
of the lead wheels.

At the press of a button,

The train's driver can release
the sand onto the track.

When there's a need for speed,
this simple system can make

All the difference
in slippery conditions.

♪

Sensors mounted in the bogies

Monitor the rotation
of the wheels on each axle.

If one axle spins faster than
the others,

It means one of the wheels
is slipping.

To prevent loss of traction,

The driver releases sand
onto the track

To help give
the wheels extra grip.

The sand has a lot more friction
than the steel rails.

Although only a few millimeters
deep, the sand layer

Breaks the erratic spin
of the slipping wheel,

Bringing it back under control
so that it regains traction.

After traveling
nearly 375 miles,

Rome's central station
is in sight.

Dennis' agv must arrive on time,

But one final obstacle
could wreck his chances.

Ahead, the train's specialty
built high-speed track

Crosses a network
of suburban rail lines.

What technology stops
this super-fast train

From getting stuck behind
slow commuter services,

And will this train
make it to rome on time?

♪

Narrator: Europe's ultimate
passenger train, the italo agv,

Is now just 12 miles
from its destination --

Rome's central station.

But crisscrossing commuter lines

Makes this the slowest section
of the entire route.

Operations director
sofia apadula monitors

The train's progress
from italo's command center.

After speeding through Italy

At an average of
155 miles per hour,

Getting caught
in this congestion

On the outskirts of rome
will blow any chance the train

Has of reaching
its destination on time.

Sofia and her colleagues
use a system

Called communication-based
train control to monitor

In real time the precise
location of their trains

Throughout the country.

The system's primary purpose
is to warn controllers

When two trains
are on a collision course.

But when time-critical services
must reach rome on schedule,

It's the perfect tool to clear
the track of slower traffic.

[ telephone rings ]

With the track ahead clear,

Dennis speeds towards
the terminal in rome.

Finally, after 3 hours
and 30 minutes,

The train pulls into
rome station right on schedule.

The italo agv's reputation
for super speed

And punctuality remains intact.

Today, dennis' train
accomplished its mission.

It's all thanks to five
engineering marvels

Built into its sleek frame
that help make it

One of the world's
ultimate passenger trains.

Intelligent electric motors
that maintain the train's speed

Up any incline,

Reactive pantographs

That safely
channel 25,000 volts

From live overhead cables...

...Sophisticated
multilayered suspension

Provides passengers
with a smooth ride,

An ingenious
pressure-sealing system

Protects passengers' ear drums,

And sand boxes
that stop slipping wheels

And beat greasy rails.

This is a train that's fast
and engineered

For both safety
and passenger comfort.

The italo agv is one
of the ultimate in its class.