Flexity Berlin

Strausberg: 0041, 0042

The Flexity Berlin is a low-floor tramcars the Flexity series of Bombardier Transportation. He is a development based on the Adtranz Incentro.

Procurement history

The fleet of trams Berlin -based 2005 Tatra high -floor cars KT4D and low-floor trams, all of Adtranz GT6N, in part in the bi-directional version. A further modernization of high-floor types KT4D-mod/KT4Dt-mod was rejected on economic grounds of the Berlin Transportation Company ( BVG). With no prospect of deadline expiry of the Tatra trains from 2010 wrote the BVG 2005 a new low- floor tram train from Europe. At the tender, eight producers, four of which the closing date of the tender on 12 October 2005 vorlegten an offer involved. The tender could decide Bombardier with the developed on the basis of Incentro Flexity Berlin with 100 percent low-floor for themselves. The design of the Flexity Berlin is a completely new and designed by the Berlin office IFS design specifically for the BVG.

On 12 June 2006 the Supervisory Board of the SNB decided to purchase new streetcars. The contract with Bombardier took place in September 2006. Since then, Bombardier renames the vehicle series as Flexity Berlin as a separate series in addition to their other vehicle families. First four preseries trains to Berlin were tested in the line operation. It is ever a one-and two -directional vehicle in a respective 30.8 and a 40-meter version for about 180 240 passengers respectively. The two 40 - m variants were put into operation in September 2008, the short variants to January 2009. Pre-production vehicles cost about 13 million euros.

On the night of 8 September 9, 2008, the first Flexity Berlin arrived at the depot Marzahn. On 19 September 2008, the official roll -out of the long device vehicle took place at a press launch. At the trade fair InnoTrans 2008, the second vehicle (long bi-directional vehicle ) was presented to the public.

The first delivery lot had originally planned size of 148 tracks. At a meeting of the Supervisory Board of the SNB on 29 June 2009, however, the procurement of only 99 trains ( 40 long and 59 short ) was adopted. It is possible to procure an additional 33 tracks for the period after 2017. On the order of the long bi-directional variant ( ZRL ) was first dispensed with entirely in this first order. The delivery of this first delivery lot started from 5th September 2011. Initially, the 24 long way vehicles are delivered. The following are the 35 short bidirectional vehicles (type F6Z, ZRK ), then the short 20 -way vehicles (type F6E, ERK). It concludes with 20 long bi-directional vehicles (type F8Z, ZRL ).

On 10 September 2012, the last car of the first delivery lot was put into operation. The first car of the second delivery lot ( short bidirectional vehicles) was delivered on the night of September 7, 2012 in Berlin; he came from 1 November 2012 are used.

In June 2012, the Supervisory Board approved the second request for delivery of additional 39 trams of type " Flexity Berlin". In order to further short -directional vehicles has now been omitted contrary to previous plans. Thus, the SNB responded to the very positive development of ridership in the tram in the downtown area. In addition, bi-directional vehicles allow the eventual abandonment of turning loops. From the framework agreement for up to 206 vehicles, the SNB has therefore been accessed a total of 142 vehicles. The entire " Flexity Berlin" fleet will include after delivery of the vehicles ordered to date 40 long way vehicles, 54 short bidirectional trains as well as 48 long bi-directional vehicles. With this acquisition, the hope is connected by the SNB that the old Tatra cars can be permanently retired by 2017. Funded by the State of Berlin has a budget of EUR 439.1 million.

The new tracks are of a width of 2.40 m by 10 cm wider than the previous low-floor trams in Berlin. As a result of the Flexity Berlin is due to encounter bans can not be used in the entire tram network in Berlin. The four preseries trains were completely made in the factory Bautzen, which provides only for the serial production of the shell in the Bombardier plant Hennig village. There, with deliveries from Mannheim and Siegen final assembly and commissioning. The annual Hennigsdorf delivers 20 to 24 trains.

The web is composed of modules, the normal version consists of five modules, the long version of seven modules. The vehicles can not couple to a multiple traction operation, which is a major advantage of the system tram are not used. This is based on that a long-wheelbase version with 40 m can replace the 38 m length of a double header of Tatra trains each. In other Flexity models, Multiple traction enabled versions are delivered, at the current ridership of the route network of Berlin is seen no need for it and during temporary demand a double header GT6N can already be used with 55 m length.

The neighboring Strausberg Railway participates in the procurement of the series with two other vehicles - a short two judges - the total contract. The contract for this was awarded on September 5, 2011. The two vehicles were delivered in February and March 2013 to Strausberg. Before deciding ein Berliner vehicle ( ZRK - 4001 ) was end of October 2010 has been tested in Strausberg. The purchase was made ​​possible by a 20-year contract with the district council, the funding could be secured. For both paths around 5 ½ million euros were paid.

Award

The Flexity Berlin was nominated for the Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany 2011.

The vehicle was awarded in March 2010 with the IF Design Award in the category of Transportation.