GERMANY: Essen and Mülheim an der Ruhr transport operator Ruhrbahn has taken delivery of the first of 51 Type HF1 high-floor light vehicles ordered from CAF.
The LRVs are being supplied from the Spanish manufacturer’s Zaragoza factory under a €150m contract signed in June 2021. This includes 44 vehicles for Essen and seven for Mülheim an der Ruhr.
Two pre-series vehicles will be used for testing ahead of series deliveries from early 2025.
From 2026 the HF1 LRVs will replace Ruhrbahn’s existing Stadtbahn-B cars and the P86/P89 vehicles which were acquired second-hand from London’s Docklands Light Railway. These will be offered for sale.
The HF1 has a similar cab and interior to Ruhrbahn’s NF2 and NF4 low-floor trams, but at 28 m long and 2 650 mm wide the high-floor cars are shorter and wider.
The LRVs are designed for 80 km/h operation. Ruhrbahn specified the use of air sprung bogies, based on the smooth running of the Stadtbahn-B cars.
Other features include air-conditioning, two multifunctional spaces for passengers with wheelchairs or pushchairs, and doors with a 970 mm entry height and visual and acoustic warnings when opening and closing.
Safety technology includes a driver assistance system and external cameras instead of exterior mirrors.
‘In the future, passengers will be able to enjoy modern vehicles and significantly more comfort throughout the city, and Ruhrbahn drivers will be able to enjoy state-of-the-art workplaces’, said Ruhrbahn supervisory board Chairman Ulrich Beul on July 1.
Ruhrbahn Managing Director Michael Feller said ‘continuous investment in infrastructure, technology and vehicles is a prerequisite for convincing people with competitive public transport and offering a real alternative to their own car. This is the only way the mobility transition can succeed.’
