Ultra Low Floor

The ULF ( abbreviation for Ultra Low Floor, English for " low -floor ") is a low-floor tram vehicle that has been developed by Siemens Rail Systems for Wiener Linien. The ULF is characterized by its achsfreien chassis and the world's lowest step-in height of trams. More achsfrei designed trams ( with the other wheel assembly ) are Variobahn, Combino, Cobra tram and TMK 2200.

Vehicle Technology

When ULF the bottom of the vehicle interior is so low that it lies approximately in one plane with the sidewalk, where it has a high curb. The entrance is at 197 mm above the running surface, the continuous trolley floor 220 mm above rail level, so each about 100 mm lower than in conventional low-floor vehicles, which benefit particularly passengers with wheelchairs and strollers. At the front door there is also a ramp that must be folded manually, to improve access for wheelchair users in to a wide gap between the vehicle and the curb.

The low step-in height and over the entire length of the vehicle through low car floor make the use of axes that connect the wheels on both sides of the wagon, impossible. Instead, a completely redesigned chassis has been developed in which had to be replaced by an electronic control of traction motors axes. The auxiliary units of the railcar are mostly placed on the car roof. The whole vehicle composed of a sequence of so-called modules ( car body segments ) and portals, wherein the individual modules are hinged to each other.

The vehicle type is ( type B 35.47 meters long ) delivered for the public transport at their request in two lengths, the so-called short-stretch ( 24,21 meters long, Type A) and the long train. The drive motors are not incorporated as in other transport vehicles, under the vehicle body in the bogies, they are standing vertically on both outer sides of the portal frame ( = hinge connections between the car body elements ) are arranged. About miter gear the individual wheels are driven. The short train is driven by six drive motors and the long train of eight drive motors.

The ULF technology is in testing since the early 1990s. Beginning with the year 1995, two prototypes were used in the ULF- line network. Since 1998, go to the Vienna tram network ULF of the first series in the line operation, by a consortium of companies Simmering -Graz -Pauker ( SGP, now Siemens ) and ELIN EBG Traction ( subsidiary of VA Tech, which in turn was also acquired by Siemens ), were built. For the design of the vehicles, the company Porsche Design is responsible.

The first shipment included a total of 150 production vehicles plus the two put on standard series prototypes. An order for a further 150 ULF ( and an option of 150 pieces ) was issued in mid-2004. The manufacturers hope to orders from other cities.

With the delivery of the second series of the Wiener Linien has been started on 18 January 2007. The cars have been redesigned externally and internally optically. The interior has been adapted to the new standard (gray walls, yellow handrails and red plastic seats). This is also a convergence as possible to the interior of the Vienna U -Bahn sets the car type V. The vans of the second series are air conditioned and are equipped among other things with new headlights and more readable target ads. By 2014, to have been delivered to the Wiener Linien 300 vehicles.

Following the InnoTrans 2004, the car was there issued a few days for demonstration purposes in the Berlin tram network. In addition, in 2005 two ULF few days in Graz for testing on the road, and in 2001 a train in Munich.

As the first city after Vienna, the Romanian transport company Oradea Transport Local decided in January 2008 for the purchase of first ten ULF vehicles for the tram Oradea. The Wiener type A1 corresponding cars were delivered between 2008 and 2009. The contract had a value of approximately 27.5 million euros.

Short ULF (Type A1 ) of the second generation in Vienna

Interior of the first vehicle series in Vienna

Interior of the second vehicle series in Vienna

Criticism and problems

On 27 July 2009 the stern of a ULFs burned in Vienna on the line 67, where no one was injured. The Viennese newspaper quoted an unnamed engineer who returns the incident to a " fundamental design flaw ": " This happens constantly in Ulf. Time only hydraulic oil runs out, sometimes it comes to Verrauchungen -. , And sometimes to correct fire ". As a result of this deficiency was corrected in all vehicles. In this context, the Ministry of Transport earlier criticized the lack of escape through the windows.

When the City of Vienna in 1992 for a new development of low-floor technology by the SGP ( now Siemens Austria ) and thus decided against existing models, the city government has been accused of political calculation. Also due to the long development time occurred in the first series to a delay in delivery.

In the summer of passengers complain about the heat in the vehicles of the first series, the later vehicles have a Temperaturabsenkanlage. The aerodynamic vehicle design has the disadvantage that the destination display in sunlight often reflects and thereby unreadable. Because of the complete sets of the first generation are gradually equipped with new, easily readable displays; the second series got this from the factory. In addition, whistling engines and squeaky joints provide in some operating situations clearly perceptible noise.

The retrofitted " shark fins " are a further point of criticism, as it comes in bad weather to water inlets into the passenger compartment.

The ULF technology was not the hoped Vienna export hit. Many transport companies (such as Berlin) decided against the ULF, because it was not designed as a bi-directional vehicle. For the international market, Siemens is now on other models such as the Combino successor Avenio.

Models

In the Vienna Streetcar Museum you can buy manufactured by Halling models of ULF in 1:87. These are offered both as a Short A1 as well as Long B1.