The three and five-car DMUs will operate initially on the partially non-electrified Cagliari - Sassari line and will reduce journey times by 24 minutes to 2h 27min, although the trains will operate at 150km/h, 10km/h below their maximum speed, due to the condition of the Sardinian railway network.
Performance is enhanced by the use of a Sibi active tilting system, which enables the trains to tilt up to 6° and operate at higher speeds through curves on the route. The vehicles, which have capacity for 202 passengers, will also have a better power-to-weight ratio and braking systems than the locomotive-hauled trains that they are replacing.
Sardinia Region ordered the trains under a €58m contract placed in 2010.
