Alfa Pendular

Alfa Pendular is the flagship high-speed tilting train service of Comboios de Portugal, run with the six-car electric units of the CP 4000 series. CP ordered ten active-tilt electric trains from Fiat Ferroviaria in 1996. The design is derived from, and closely resembles, the Giugiaro-styled ETR 480 Pendolino, with bogies redesigned for the Iberian gauge of Portuguese track and eight traction motors that together develop 4,000 kW. The first unit was built in Italy and reached Portugal in December 1998, and the other nine were assembled at the former Sorefame works at Amadora, with ADtranz and Siemens as the main subcontractors under Fiat Ferroviaria as main contractor. The service began on 1 July 1999 between Lisbon and Porto, at first limited to 160 km/h and later able to reach 220 km/h where the main line had been upgraded. It was extended in 2004 to Braga and Faro, and the fleet was refurbished from 2017.