GERMANY: The first of 90 energy-efficient high-floor light rail vehicles being supplied for use in Dortmund has been unveiled by operator DSW21, HeiterBlick and Kiepe Electric at Dorstfeld depot.
Under the B-car project, the two manufacturers are assembling 26 new trams in Leipzig and rebuilding 64 B80C-6 and B80C-8 vehicles from the current DSW21 fleet, recycling the existing bodyshells and bogies.
The vehicles are fitted with thermal insulation and double-glazed windows, allowing the saloon heating to be reduced, cutting the overall energy consumption of the fleet by an estimated 12·5%.
To improve accessibility, all vehicles will be equipped with ‘kneeling’ technology, allowing the vehicle floor height to be adjusted by up to 30 mm to match the platforms. There are also dedicated spaces for wheelchairs and passengers with reduced mobility.
‘The B-car project is one of the largest investments in the history of DSW21’, said Chief Operating Officer Hubert Jung. ‘To my knowledge, there has never been a tender and order for 26 new LRVs and 64 vehicles to be modernised in the same way.’
