RUSSIA: PC Transport Systems is developing what it says will be the first Russian-made all-aluminium tram, drawing on the best examples of aluminium tram production in Europe.
The bodyshells for the three-section low-floor Type 71-931M1 Vityaz-M tram are being assembled and painted at the company’s Tver Mechanical Electric Transport Plant, which has undergone comprehensive modernisation to facilitiate the production of aluminium vehicles.
Final assembly will then be undertaken at the manufacturer’s Nevsky Electric Transport Plant in St Petersburg.
The use of aluminium is expected to enable the manufacture to offer a longer warranty period than with steel equivalents, with lower maintenance costs and less need to replace components during the vehicle’s operating life.
Passenger features will include large windows, wide doors, many handrails, a modern climate management system, smooth and fast acceleration and noise isolation.
Energy-absorbing body elements and hydrodynamic crash elements at the front and rear of the tram are intended to reduce the risks of injuring passengers and other road users in the event of a collision and to protect the main parts of the car structure.
There will be provision to install an onboard energy storage system.
‘An aluminium tram is a new stage in the development of Russian transport engineering, investment in the future, in new technologies that will not lose value even after years’, said Feliks Vinokur, President of PC Transport Systems. ‘At the same time, the absolute priority for us remains comfort and meeting the needs of passengers.’
- · PC Transport Systems plans to display the 71-931M1 Vityaz-M tram at the InnoTrans trade fair in Berlin, now taking place in April 2021.
