CAF Urbos 3 (Edinburgh)

Last updated

CAF Urbos 3 (Edinburgh)
Edinburgh tram 001.JPG
A CAF Urbos 3 in Edinburgh, June 2014
Interior of an Edinburgh Tram.jpg
Interior
In serviceMay 2014
Manufacturer CAF
Built at Beasain, Spain
Family name Urbos 3
Constructed2009–2011
Number built27
Number in service27
Formation7 articulated cars per tram
Fleet numbers251–277
Capacity250 (78 seated, 170 standing, 2 wheelchairs) [1]
Operators Transport for Edinburgh
DepotsGogar Depot
Specifications
Car body construction Stainless steel [2]
Car length42,856 mm (140 ft 7 in)
Width2.65 m (8 ft 8+3⁄8 in) [2]
Height3.4 m (11 ft 1+7⁄8 in)
Floor height350 mm (1 ft 1+3⁄4 in)
Maximum speed70 km/h (43 mph) [2]
Weight56 tonnes (55 long tons; 62 short tons) [2]
Traction system Kiepe Electric DPU 101 IGBT–VVVF [3]
Traction motors 12 × ABB 4DDA3030 60 kW (80 hp) [4]
Power output720 kW (970 hp)
Acceleration 1.2 m/s2 (3.9 ft/s2)
Electric system(s) 750 V DC OHLE
Current collector(s) Pantograph
UIC classification Bo′+2′+Bo′+Bo′
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Notes/references
Sourced from [5] [6] [7] except where noted

The Edinburgh Tram network operates a fleet of CAF Urbos 3 low-floor trams that were specially designed for use in the city. Twenty-seven were built in Beasain, Spain, between 2009 and 2011.

Contents

History

The contract to build a fleet of 27 trams for the Phase 1a and Phase 1b tram lines [8] was awarded to the Spanish rail equipment manufacturer CAF in November 2007 [9] and is worth up to £40 million. The trams are built to meet the highly bespoke specifications issued by Transport Initiatives Edinburgh which precluded the use of an existing design.

CAF was selected by competitive tender from a list of four rail vehicle manufacturers, the others being Alstom, Bombardier, and Siemens. [10]

A full size mockup of the front of the proposed tram was constructed and put on display on Princes Street for the public to view. [11] The replica tram was moved to Constitution Street at the foot of Leith Walk in April 2009. [12] [13] There was also a tram front mockup put on display at the Gyle Shopping centre next to the bus stop.

The first finished tram was delivered on 26 April 2010 and went on public display on 28 April 2010 at the location of the previous mockup in Princes Street, [2] before being moved to open storage in Broxburn in November 2010. [14] The tram arrived far in advance of the completion of infrastructure (including its home depot), which has suffered serious delays and cost over-runs. The tramway opened on 31 May 2014, with a further extension opening in June 2023. [15]

Specifications

The Edinburgh trams are bi-directional, 42.8 metres (140 ft 5 in) long [1] [6] and built with 100% low-floor access to meet UK Rail Vehicle Access Regulations for disabled people. Passenger capacity is 250 – 78 seated, 170 standing and 2 wheelchair spaces [1] – and the trams will be fitted with CCTV. [7] [5]

Sideways view of a tram Tram approaching Ingliston, cropped.jpg
Sideways view of a tram

Several special requirements were specified for the tram vehicles: they have to cope with the steep slopes of Edinburgh streets, operate with low noise and offer a visual fit suitable for a World Heritage Site. The particular requirements were specified by Transport for Edinburgh with the aim of designing an advanced tram system tailored for the needs of Edinburgh. [10] To achieve the low noise requirement a self lubricating system is used to avoid the squeal of wheels on track when turning tight curves around streetcorners at intersections and elsewhere.

Livery

To create a visual continuity between the tram fleets and local bus services, Edinburgh trams have the same livery as that of Lothian Buses. The tram mockup shown in 2009 was decorated with the red and gold "harlequin" design that was introduced on Lothian Buses in the 2000s. Following the announcement of a rebranding of the bus fleet in April 2010, Lothian Buses reintroduced their traditional madder and white livery, and the tram livery was updated to a matching colour scheme. [16]

As of recent years, Edinburgh Trams have introduced custom business liveries such as Capital Radio, OVO Energy, Edinburgh Rugby, Leith Distillery and Camera Obscura & World of Illusions.

Testing

The first part of the tram line to be completed was a short section between Gogarburn and the depot at Gogar. Testing of new trams on this stretch of track started in December 2011 - the first time that a tram had moved under electric power in Edinburgh since 1956. [17] The first daytime test run of a tram along the full route from Edinburgh Airport to York Place took place on 20 February 2014. [18]

In service

The fleet of 27 was ordered before the proposed network was curtailed. An attempt in 2011 to lease ten trams to Transport for London for use on Tramlink was unsuccessful and thus Edinburgh Trams took delivery of all 27 even though only half were required to operate the network at its peak, however since the extended line to Newhaven opened in 2023, this has increased significantly. [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tramlink</span> Light rail tram system in South London

Tramlink, previously Croydon Tramlink and presently branded as London Trams, is a light rail tram system serving Croydon and surrounding areas in South London, England. It is the first operational tram system serving the London region since 1952. Tramlink is presently managed by London Trams, a public body part of Transport for London (TfL), and has been operated by FirstGroup since 2017. It is one of two light rail networks in Greater London, the other being the Docklands Light Railway. Tramlink is the fourth-busiest light rail network in the UK behind the Docklands Light Railway, Manchester Metrolink and Tyne and Wear Metro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Euskotren Tranbia</span> Tram system in Bilbao and Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain

Euskotren Tranbia is the brand under which the tramway networks in the cities of Vitoria-Gasteiz and Bilbao are run. The system in Bilbao started operations in 2002, and the one in Vitoria-Gasteiz in 2008. It is one of the four commercial divisions under which Euskotren operates. The infrastructure is owned by the public entity Euskal Trenbide Sarea and tracks use 1,000 mm narrow gauge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edinburgh Trams</span> Tramway in Edinburgh, Scotland

Edinburgh Trams is a tramway in Edinburgh, Scotland, operated by Edinburgh Trams Ltd. It is an 18.5-kilometre (11.5 mi) line between Newhaven and Edinburgh Airport, with 23 stops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Scottish</span> British bus operating company

Eastern Scottish Omnibuses Ltd. was a bus and coach operator based in Edinburgh, Scotland and a subsidiary of the Scottish Bus Group. Eastern Scottish was formed in June 1985 from the main part of Scottish Omnibuses Ltd., which had itself traded as 'Eastern Scottish' since the 1960s. Following privatisation in 1990 the company traded as 'SMT' reviving the original name of the company. It operated until 1994, when it became part of GRT Bus Group plc.

The West Midlands Metro is a passenger light rail line in the West Midlands conurbation in England, which opened in 1999. Its rolling stock consists of 21 CAF Urbos 3 trams which came into service in 2014/15, replacing the older T-69 trams which had operated the line since 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warrington's Own Buses</span> Cheshire municipal bus operator

Warrington's Own Buses is a municipal bus company which operates a network of services within the Borough of Warrington and the surrounding area, including Altrincham, Leigh, Earlestown, Wigan, Halton, Bolton and Northwich.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arriva Scotland West</span> British bus operating company

Arriva Scotland West was a bus company based in Inchinnan, near Paisley, Scotland. It was formed in 1997 as a rebranding of the former Clydeside 2000 company when purchased by Arriva. On 26 March 2012, the business was sold to McGill's Bus Services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lothian Buses</span> Municipal bus operator in Edinburgh and the Lothians

Lothian Buses is a major bus operator based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is the largest municipal bus company in the United Kingdom: the City of Edinburgh Council owns 91%, Midlothian Council 5%, East Lothian Council 3% and West Lothian Council 1%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Edinburgh</span> Overview of the transport system in Edinburgh

Edinburgh is a major transport hub in east central Scotland and is at the centre of a multi-modal transport network with road, rail and air communications connecting the city with the rest of Scotland and internationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackpool Transport</span> Bus and tram operator in Blackpool, England

Blackpool Transport Services Limited is a bus and tram operator running within the boroughs of Blackpool and Fylde and into the surrounding area, including Fleetwood, Lytham St Annes, Poulton-le-Fylde, Cleveleys, Fleetwood and Preston. Blackpool Transport is owned by Blackpool Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Scotland East</span> Bus operator in east and central Scotland

First South East & Central Scotland, formerly known as First Scotland East, was an operator of both local and regional bus services in Clackmannanshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, Falkirk, Fife, Midlothian, North Lanarkshire, Scottish Borders, Stirling and West Lothian, as well as the cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, Scotland. It was a subsidiary of FirstGroup, which operates bus, rail and tram services across the United Kingdom and Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stadler Variobahn</span> Tram / light rail vehicle by Stadler Rail

The Stadler Variobahn is a German-designed model of articulated low-floor tram and light rail vehicle. Since its introduction in 1993, the Variobahn has been manufactured variously by ABB, Adtranz, Bombardier Transportation, and since 2001 by Stadler Rail. As of 2009, 254 trams have been ordered, with an additional 110 on option. A unit costs about €2.5 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenvale Transport</span> Bus operator in Liverpool, Merseyside, England

Glenvale Transport (GTL) was a bus company that operated services in Liverpool between July 2001 and July 2005.

Edinburgh Corporation Tramways was a Scottish tram network that formerly served the City of Edinburgh, Scotland. The city used four-wheeled double-decked trams painted dark red (madder) and white – a livery still used by Lothian Buses and the modern light rail Edinburgh Trams.

Trams operated in Edinburgh from 1871 to 1956, and resumed in 2014. The first systems were horse-drawn, while cable-haulage appeared in the city in 1888. Electric trams first ran on systems in neighbouring Musselburgh (1904) and Leith (1905), meeting the Edinburgh cable-trams at Joppa and Pilrig respectively. Electrification meant cable trams last ran in 1923, with through running now possible to Leith and as far east as Port Seton. The various systems were operated by different private and municipal entities over the years; the Edinburgh and Leith systems had been merged under Edinburgh Corporation by 1920, but it wasn't until 1928, after the partial closure of Musselburgh line, that all trams operating in Edinburgh were in the sole control of the corporation. The last electric trams ran in 1956, but electric trams returned in 2014 with the opening of Edinburgh Trams. Many of the trams from the horse/cable/first electric era were built in Shrubhill Works. Two trams have been preserved, a horse tram and an electric tram, built by Shrubhill in 1885 and 1948 respectively. A 1903 Dick Kerr cable-tram has also been purchased for preservation. Remnants of the cable-tram system can be seen in Waterloo Place and Henderson Row, and of the Musselburgh line at Morrison's Haven.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Compagnie des Transports Strasbourgeois</span> Public transit authority in France

The Compagnie des Transports Strasbourgeois is the company responsible for the comprehensive public transport network of the Eurométropole de Strasbourg, the urban community of the French city of Strasbourg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Lothian Buses</span> History of bus company operation in the greater Edinburgh area in Scotland (UK)

Lothian Buses is the largest provider of bus services in and around Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland. It is entirely municipally owned, being 91% owned by the City of Edinburgh Council, with the remainder owned by Midlothian, East Lothian and West Lothian councils. Lothian Buses plc is registered in Annandale Street, Edinburgh as company number SC096849.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bombardier CR4000</span> Bombardier Flexity Swift Tram used in London

The Bombardier CR4000 is a 76% low floor model of the Bombardier Flexity Swift series of tram operated by Tramlink in London. They are based on and very similar in appearance to the K4000 used on the low-platform routes of the Cologne Stadtbahn network. Built between 1998 and 2000, the trams entered service in the spring of 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McGill's Bus Services</span> Bus operator based in Scotland

McGill's Bus Services is a bus operator based in Greenock, Scotland. The company has grown to operate a network of routes covering much of the council areas of Inverclyde, East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire, North Lanarkshire, Glasgow City, North Ayrshire, West Lothian, Falkirk and Dundee City. McGill's have several depots based in Greenock, Inchinnan, Johnstone, Edinburgh, Bannockburn, Balfron, Larbert, Livingston and Dundee. McGill's also formerly had depots in Dumbarton, Barrhead and Coatbridge.

Various studies, from 1989 onwards, considered the reintroduction of trams to Edinburgh. In 2001, a proposal for a new Edinburgh Trams network envisaged three routes across the city, Lines 1, 2 and 3. Line 1 was a circular route running around the northern suburbs, with the other two forming radial lines running out to Newbridge in the west and to Newcraighall in the south respectively. All lines would run through the city centre.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Tram Facts" (PDF). Edinburgh Trams. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "First tram arrives in Edinburgh". Railway Gazette International . 30 April 2010. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  3. ↑ "Straßenbahnsysteme - Großbritannien" [Tram systems - Great Britain](PDF) (in German). Kiepe Electric. p. 5. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  4. ↑ "ABB traction motors - Reference list" (PDF). ABB . Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Edinburgh Tram". CAF . Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  6. 1 2 "Streetcars and light subway trains: Edinburgh Tram - basic details". CAF. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
  7. 1 2 "Streetcars and light subway trains: Edinburgh Tram - performance". CAF. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
  8. ↑ Henderson, Damien (26 March 2011). "Edinburgh's trams are on track for … Croydon". The Herald. Retrieved 21 April 2011.
  9. ↑ "Tram Vehicles". Edinburgh Trams. 20 November 2007. Archived from the original on 19 August 2009. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
  10. 1 2 "City trams to be 'best in world'". BBC News. 11 July 2006. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
  11. ↑ "Mock tram gets visitors on board". BBC News. 3 March 2009. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
  12. ↑ "Life-sized Edinburgh tram replica finds new home in Leith Walk". DeadlinenewsTV. 27 April 2009. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
  13. ↑ Today's Railways UK issue 86
  14. ↑ Marshall, Chris (24 November 2010). "Tram is carted off to Broxburn because Gogar depot not ready". Edinburgh Evening News . Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  15. ↑ "Edinburgh's trams roll into action". BBC News. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
  16. ↑ Dalton, Alastair (31 March 2010). "Lowdown on new look for Lothian Buses' 600 strong fleet". The Scotsman. Edinburgh.
  17. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 May 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  18. ↑ "A trams eye view". Edinburgh Trams. 25 February 2014. Archived from the original on 13 March 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  19. ↑ Edinburgh's trams are on track for Croydon The Herald 26 March 2011

Commons-logo.svg Media related to CAF trams in Edinburgh at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.