TURKEY: The first of 60 trams for Konya left Škoda Transportation’s Plzen factory in the Czech Republic on October 29, almost seven months after the €104·7m contract was announced.
The 100% low-floor Type 28T vehicle is based on 31 trams ordered by Miskolc in Hungary. The five-section tram is 32·5 m long with a capacity of 364 passengers. Two trams can run in multiple.
The styling was inspired by Islamic architecture and the whirling dervishes for which Konya is famous, according to Chief Engineer of the project Jaroslav Kulhánek.
All propulsion systems are supplied by Škoda Electric; the tram is also equipped with air-conditioning and wi-fi. The tram meets high standards for fire safety, for use in a 4·5 km tunnel.
