Stadler SMILE

Stadler originally named the train the EC250. This was changed in 2017 to SMILE, short for Schneller Mehrsystemfähiger Innovativer Leichter Expresszug (English: “speedy multi-system innovative lightweight express train”). The Swiss Federal Railways gave the train the class designation RABe 501, and nicknamed the train Giruno (from , Romansh for "buzzard", "bearded vulture" or "kestrel"). == Development ==

In April 2012 the Swiss Federal Railways issued a tender for 29 new single-deck trains capable of reaching for service on routes between Germany, Switzerland and Italy via the then under-construction Gotthard Base Tunnel, the only completely flat route through the Alpine barrier. Bids were placed by Stadler Rail, Siemens, Alstom and Talgo. All four bids were rejected by the SBB and a second round took place, at which point Siemens withdrew. On 9 May 2014 SBB announced an order worth for 29 Stadler EC250s. The final signing was delayed, however, as Alstom and Talgo both launched legal challenges: Alstom withdrew theirs in September 2014, while the Spain-based Talgo's complaintthat SBB gave the domestic producer an advantagewas dismissed by the Federal Administrative Court in October 2014. The final contract was signed between SBB and Stadler on 30 October 2014. 2016 in Berlin The EC250's first public appearanceas a short 5-car setwas at InnoTrans 2016 in Berlin, by Stadler CEO, Peter Spuhler, and SBB CEO, Andreas Meyer. The first full 11-car set was presented at a ceremony in Bussnang on 18 May 2017, which was also attended by the then Swiss President Doris Leuthard. Shortly afterwards in August, the EC250 was renamed as SMILE following a public competition. The Federal Office of Transport approved this service for Switzerland on 4 April 2019 and the European Union Railway Agency approved it for Italy in March 2020in both cases, for speeds up to . The first passenger revenue service operated between Zurich and Erstfeld on 8 May 2019, using Giruno unit 501 006. ==Design==

The EC250 is designed to comply with the TSI-High-speed regulations and meets the EN 15227 crashworthiness standards. The cars are connected to Jacobs bogies and the propulsion system consists of four motorised bogies, powered from four roof-mounted electric current collectors. The electrification system is compatible with the Swiss and German 15 kV 16.7 Hz alternating current (AC) overhead power supplies, as well as with Italian 3 kV direct current (DC) and 25 kV 50 Hz electrification systems. The motorized bogies are reportedly capable of generating a maximum power output of 6000 kW. Each 11-car train set is long and has an empty weight of . Each carriage has a width of and a height of . The wheelbase of the unpowered bogies is , while those of the motorised bogies are . The carriages do not have a uniform floor height as the seats at either end of each car are positioned above the bogies while the central aisle rises towards the carriage connection through ramps. The low-floor entrances allow step-free access from platforms at heights between and and several accessible toilets and areas for wheelchairs are available, allowing the train to comply with the Law on Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities. As a long-distance train, it also features signal boosters for 3G/4G cellular phone networks, power sockets (for Swiss and international plugs) and large luggage racks for passenger comfort, along with energy-efficient lighting. The interior is flexible, meaning it can be extensively refitted and modified to an operator's requirements. ==Service==

Swiss Federal Railways - Switzerland The Giruno units operate services from Basel and Zurich to Chiasso and Lugano. Services between Zurich and Milan have also operated since 12 August 2020, and have later expanded to Venice, Genoa and Bologna. The Giruno replaced existing RABDe 500 (ICN) and tilting ETR 610 units on the Gotthard railway, which were reassigned to more winding Alpine routes such as the Jura Foot Railway. Each of the 41 trainsets, which were delivered by December 2025, is numbered and named. Twenty-six are named after the cantons of Switzerland, but the numbering deviates from that of the "Gotthard locomotives". Two are named after the Italian regions of Liguria and Lombardy, one is named after the commune of Monteceneri (because of the Ceneri Base Tunnel), one after the Saint-Gotthard Massif and one after the Simplon Pass. The names are indicated at both ends of the train and inside the dining car. Orders and deliveries • First batch: • Order for 29 trainsets (option for 92 trains) signed in October 2014, worth CHF 970 million. • Entry into service: from 2019 to 2021. • Second batch: • Order for 7 trainsets signed in June 2022, worth CHF 250 million. • Entry into service: 2025. The first trainset entered in service in March 2026 on the Vienna - Graz - Klagenfurt - Villach route. The trainsets are being leased. File:Westbahn 501 043 Krauselklauseviadukt 2026-03-03.jpg|On the Semmeringbahn, 2026 File:Westbahn 501 Comfort 1.jpg|Comfort-class interior File:Westbahn 501 Standard 1.jpg|Standard-class interior Saudi Arabia Railways - Saudi Arabia A derivative of the SMILE was sold to the Saudi Arabia Railways in February 2024. The contract is for 10 trainsets with an option for 10 additional ones (CHF 600 million). Artist's impressions depicted a train using the same cab as the Giruno. It differs from the Swiss-Austrian variant as it is powered by two diesel-electric power units. == See also ==