Exhibit description

Electric train ER2-963-09

Early Electric Trains

In 1953 the Riga Carriage Works began producing SR3 electric trains. They were heavy and had low power: one motor car for two trailer cars. Due to this, by the end of the 1950s their acceleration characteristics began to restrain the growth of average technical speeds of suburban trains.

The two sections of three cars of the SN (northern, new) type electric trains built for testing in 1954–1955 had the same composition. So even with a higher design speed of 130 km/h they could not significantly speed up the movement, especially on short sections.

Equal ratio

It was decided to create an electric train with an equal ratio of motor and trailer cars. In 1957 Riga plants produced five ten-car ER1 trains (Riga electric train, type 1). They were intended to replace old models on suburban routes of the Moscow and Leningrad hubs with a DC voltage of 3 kV. Trailer and head cars were produced by the Kalinin Carriage Works. In total, from 1957 to 1962 259 ten-car trains were produced.

After the Moscow and Leningrad suburban hubs were saturated with ER2 trains, the question of supplying similar electric trains to other regions of the country arose.

In 1962 the Riga (RVZ) and Kalinin (KVZ) wagon-building plants produced 48 electric trains of the ER2 series (No. 300–347). In September 1984 the Riga wagon-building plant assembled the last electric train ER2-1348. In total, 850 trains and 189 additional wagons were built.

The ER1 and ER2 electric trains are a whole era that will be associated with suburban trains for a long time to come for different generations.

Historical context

Therefore, a decision was made to create an electric train with a ratio of motor and trailer cars of 1:1. Using the developments of the SN electric train, the Riga Carriage Works (chief designer V. O. Kolesnichenko), together with the Riga Electric Machine-Building Plant and the Moscow Dynamo Plant, designed a ten-car electric train. The train included two lead trailer cars, five motor cars and three intermediate trailer cars.

After the Moscow and Leningrad suburban hubs were saturated with ER₁ trains, the question of supplying similar electric trains to other regions of the country arose.

A total of 850 trains and 189 additional carriages were built.

The ER₁ and ER₂ electric trains are an entire era that will long be associated with commuter trains for different generations.