"Polish Lizard" or commuter trains Newag Impuls

During the so-called In the socialist bloc there were three countries that were considered leading producers of railway transport. In addition to the USSR itself, this number also included Czechoslovakia and Hungary (probably remember the popular diesel trains). The rest acted more often simply as grateful users who received the necessary equipment at very affordable prices, as a result of cooperation within the framework of CMEA.


As you all clearly saw, the Polish People's Republic was not included in the above list. Yes, in general, she was not considered a leader in any technical direction. Of course, you can remember the good “Polish Fiat”. But we all know that these are only the fruits of talented Italian engineers and designers.


However, everything flows and changes. Although in earlier times the Poles produced compounds designed for use on the domestic market. First of all, these are electric trains of the EN57 series, assembled at the plant in Wroclaw.

After the changes of the 90s, which resulted in privatization, the production of suburban variants was discontinued, ending with the Pafawag 1997Bt/5Bt assembled in 6 (ED73 series). In subsequent years, local specialists moved on to the design and production of light rolling stock, the so-called. diesel-powered rail buses. In parallel, the direction of renovation of old EN57s in service was also developing.

New Polish trains

The company's first modern “swallow” appeared exactly 20 years ago. Thus, in close cooperation with the Krakow Elektrokontrol, a design of its own design was designed - the 14WE electric train. A little later, the enterprises merged into the Newag concern, starting the production of compounds that included elements of EN57 units of the socialist period. By 2007, engineers had developed their own new product - the 19WE high-floor rail bus.


But the current situation dictated completely different realities, among which the low-floor design came to one of the first places. This did not allow the Poles to compete on equal terms with foreign manufacturers even in the domestic market. Therefore, an urgent modernization of the products was required. After colleagues from Bydgoszcz offered the first train with improved comfort of the Elf family, it was time to launch the promising Newag Impuls on the market.



Very quickly the technology found its users on the Polish railway transport market. Therefore, the manufacturer began to offer various configurations, including from two to six cars. The train had a low floor and was intended for local transportation.

The total number of orders for such railway equipment over the next decade exceeded two and a half hundred. Today, these nimble trains with the company's livery can be found in different regions of Poland. Interestingly, some modifications even hold speed records.

The first of them was delivered on February 19, 2013. Then an experienced driver was able to accelerate the 4-car 31WE to a very respectable 211,6 km/h. But the Polish engineers did not stop there. Two and a half years later the figure was improved with the 5-car 45WE. He was able to add almost fourteen points to it - 225,2 km/h.


The manufacturer signed the first contract a year before the pilot prototype appeared. Warsaw-based Szybka Kolej Miejska became those wishing to own the stylish Impuls. After this, orders from Polish carriers became regular. By the way, the original name of the composition appeared only on April 24, 2012, as a result of an all-Polish competition.

A particular challenge for the company was the order to manufacture a special version of the 31WE train for the SKM Trojmiasto high-speed railway. Given the fact that the entire service area had high-riding platforms, Newag engineers had to adapt the design by raising the floor level. This entailed a change in the design of the train's interior. Well, I think it’s time to pay attention to the technical side of the composition.

Newag Impuls and its technical indicators

As already mentioned, the creators of Impuls tried to make it as modern as possible, endowing it with many useful functions. An example is the Staleva Wola – Przeworsk line. In the post-socialist period (almost two decades) it used anachronistic EN57 or old GDR-made trains hauled by heavy locomotives.

Even the purchased diesel cars could not be called quiet or comfortable. Everything changed dramatically after Newag Impuls appeared here. The comfort of electric trains increased by several points at once; passengers received in the cabin:

✅ air conditioner
✅ electrical sockets
✅ WiFi
✅ scoreboard with up-to-date information

Impuls family trains can also be equipped with full internal control systems, ticket machines and punchers. They tried to adapt their interior as much as possible for passengers with disabilities. For this purpose, ramps, folding steps, elevators and a specially designated area for wheelchairs are installed outside and inside the salon. It can also be used by owners of transported bicycles. All of the above is facilitated by wide passages inside the cars.


Manufacturers used motor (4 pieces) and the same number of Jacobs bogies installed in the intercar space. They received a modern gear drive and a two-stage leaf spring suspension system. Thanks to this, the comfort of the trip has significantly increased, due to the effective damping of possible vibrations at switch crossings or uneven surfaces of the road surface.

The demand for trains has led to the expansion of their scope of use. Using a different interior layout, the train was adapted for use on long-distance routes. The base version was the six-car 35WE, which received the following characteristics:

✅ 8 engines with a total power of 3200 kW
✅ maximum speed - 160 km / h
✅ total length - 113,6 m
✅ length of passenger space – 92,3 m
✅ passenger capacity – 922 people.
✅ seats – 218

Subsequent events confirmed that the Poles managed to create a decent design that meets basic international requirements. Indeed, in addition to the interest of local carriers, the company also received some orders from other countries.

Export history and modern modifications

The end of 2015 was a landmark year for Newag. After all, the Italian carrier Ferrovie del Sud Est became interested in his electric train Impuls. For this reason, the company's engineers began designing the second generation of Polish electric trains.

Impuls II was presented in the second half of 2016. It received not only changes in the appearance of the front wall, but also a separate entrance to the driver’s cab. At the same time, interest from local users also grew.

In mid-November 2018, the manufacturer entered into a contract with the Marshal's Office of the Lubusz Voivodeship. It implied the supply of two new compounds, one of which was decided to be made hybrid, significantly expanding the geography of its use.


A couple of years later, the manufacturer received a new contract from Przewozy Regionalne to service the Rzeszow – Przemysl route. The version labeled 36WEa was the first train in Poland to receive approval for compliance with the Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSI). The two-section train is designed to operate on lines with reduced passenger traffic.

When designing it, we used all the successful developments of the past, ensuring the possibility of its use in areas with platforms of different heights. Since January 2021, hybrids have begun regular operation in the eastern region of Poland.