Variobahn

Last updated

Variobahn on London's Tramlink network Stadler Variobahn Tram at Addiscombe (geograph 3033862).jpg
Variobahn on London's Tramlink network

The Variobahn, formerly known as the Variotram, 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. [1] [2]

Contents

Operators include the Graz Holding, the Bergen Light Rail, the Chemnitz Tramway, Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr, the Helsinki Tramway, the Rhine Neckar Area Tramway and London Tramlink.

History

Variotram in Nuremberg, Germany Strassenbahn Nurnberg TW 1201 St. Peter.jpg
Variotram in Nuremberg, Germany

Prototypes and early deliveries

The Variotram was first developed by ABB Asea Brown Boveri at Henschel and a prototype was launched in 1993 for the Chemnitz tramway in Germany, operated by Chemnitzer Verkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft (CVAG). The serial delivery, with minor modifications, was made between 1998 and 2001—bringing the total number of units for Chemnitz to thirty. Of these, twenty-four were operated by CVAG and six by City-Bahn Chemnitz. In 1995, ABB's train division merged to become Adtranz. One prototype the following year sold to the Duisburg Stadtbahn, but serial production was never initiated for Duisburg. [1] [3]

In 1996, six trams were delivered to serve on the light rail between Mannheim, Heidelberg and Weinheim, Germany, operated by Oberrheinischen Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft. From 2001 to 2007, it ordered additional 20 trams. These were supplemented in 2002 by 8 trams for the Heidelberg Tramway, and in 2001–07 by 16 trams for the Mannheim Tramway. [1] In 1996 the Sydney light rail system, in Australia, took delivery of seven trams, which were built in Dandenong, Victoria. All were withdrawn by mid 2015 and the remaining 6 put up for sale. [4] The Sydney trams did not sell, 5 were scrapped in early 2018, and the last built no 2107 was transferred to the Sydney Tramway Museum in October 2018 for preservation. [5]

Helsinki

Variotram in Helsinki, Finland ModernFinnishTram.jpg
Variotram in Helsinki, Finland

Forty Variotrams were delivered to Helsinki City Transport (HKL), Finland, between 1998 and 2003 for use on the Helsinki tramway, at a cost of €76 million. [6] These trams were built by Transtech (who later produced the newer Artic models) in Otanmäki under a technology transfer agreement with Adtranz. During this time the company was acquired by Bombardier, who inherited the design in 2000, making the Helsinki trams the only Variotrams to be produced under the Bombardier name.

In service, the Variotrams were found to be ill-suited for Helsinki's tram network, having suffered from numerous technical problems, including cracks in the bogies and vehicle body shells. Before 2009 often less than half of the trams have been in working condition. [7] [8] HKL considered returning the trams to Bombardier as unsatisfactory, but after a long series of negotiations a compromise was reached in May 2007, when the responsibility for maintaining the trams was transferred to Bombardier. [8] The contract agreed in May 2007 states that, from May 2008 onwards, if more than four Variotrams in Helsinki are not in operational condition, Bombardier must pay a daily fine to the HKL for every non-operational tram. If more than eight trams are in non-operational condition, HKL has the right to cancel the contract and return the trams to Bombardier, who are obliged to return the €76 million that HKL paid for the trams. [8] In order to cope with the requirements of the agreement, Bombardier established its own maintenance workshop in Helsinki in mid-2008, located in the premises of the former VR Group electric locomotive workshop in Pasilan Konepaja. [9]

In August 2017 a contract was agreed after long negotiations between HKL and Bombardier to cancel the purchase of the Variotrams. Bombardier will pay HKL 33 million euros in compensation for the shorter than originally contractually agreed 40 year lifetime of the trams. HKL will return the trams to Bombardier from 2018 on. [10]

Stadler

Stadler built Variobahn for the Bergen Light Rail. Bybanen23.juni2010.jpg
Stadler built Variobahn for the Bergen Light Rail.

To concentrate on its own Flexity family of vehicles, Bombardier reached an agreement with the European Commission where Bombardier would divest the Variotram division to Stadler Rail of Switzerland. [11]

Stadler subsequently renamed the tram as Variobahn and has since secured several contracts, [1] delivering:

As of 2009, a total of 254 Variobahn trams have been ordered, with an additional 110 on option. A unit costs about €2.5 million. [1] Stadler builds its trams at their Pankow plant in the northern suburbs of Berlin and the Stadler facility at Velten north of Berlin.

Problems in Munich

In December 2014, MVG took seven of its Variobahns out of service due to cracks in vehicle bodies. By January 2015, all Variobahns had to be withdrawn for repairs. MVG chose not to exercise options to buy any more Variobahns, and turned to Siemens to supply its next generation of trams.

Variobahn tram at Therapia Lane Tram 2558 at Therapia Lane.JPG
Variobahn tram at Therapia Lane

Six units were ordered for Tramlink by Transport for London in August 2011 at a cost of £16.3 million [15] with an option for up to 8 more trams. [13] The London Borough of Croydon council contributed £3m to the cost. [13]

Three of the Croydon trams were diverted from a batch of five which were ordered for the Bybanen line in Bergen, Norway. [15] Stadler built these earlier than the contractual delivery date to make use of free capacity at its factory. Three more trams were built directly for Croydon, plus three trams for Bergen to replace the ones which went to Croydon. [15]

Initial testing was carried out in Chemnitz, Saxony. [16] The first tram, 2554, was delivered to Croydon on 24 January 2012 [17] and carried its first passengers on 30 March 2012.

Specifications

Variobahn in Mannheim, Germany OEG Variobahn 117 in Viernheim 100 1085.jpg
Variobahn in Mannheim, Germany

The Variotram is a low-floor light rail tram designed for city center operation. Since customers consist of both existing and new systems, and their specifications vary, the Variotram has flexibility in specifications. It can be built as uni- or bi-directional, with 70 or 100% low floor. Rail gauge can be 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge or 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) metre gauge . Width options include 2.3 metres (7 ft 6 1⁄2 in), 2.4 metres (7 ft 10 1⁄2 in), 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 3⁄8 in) and 2.65 metres (8 ft 8 3⁄8 in). The length varies with either three, four, five or seven articulated modules. The floor height is 350 millimetres (14 in) over the rail. The seating and standing arrangements are flexible, and the trams feature 1,350 millimetres (53 in) wide doors. The tram has hub motors on all wheels, thus eliminating the need for axles and bogies. These compact motors are the key to the low-floor concept, since they can be placed under the seating. This allows the full length of the tram to be step-free accessible from the platforms. [18]

Several of the configurations of the trams are customizable to fit each tramway. In addition to the four possible widths and choice of gauge, the trams can be custom-built for the necessary length. [1] Trams are built modally, so that they can later be rebuilt or extended. [19] All trams built so far have five modules and twelve wheels. The trams are available with four motor settings: four or six wheels powered with 95-kilowatt (127 hp) motors, or eight or twelve wheels with 45-kilowatt (60 hp) motors. Of the models built so far, the length has varied from 24.4 to 42.8 metres (80 to 140 ft) (Helsinki and Mannheim, respectively). Similarly, tare weight varies from 35 to 50 tonnes (34 to 49 long tons; 39 to 55 short tons). Seating capacity varies between 38 (Graz) and 100 (Heidelberg), while standing capacity peaks at 193 for the Duisburg version. [1]

Production

SystemOwnerQuantityDeliveryLengthWidthGaugeOperationSeatsStandingMaximum power
kW 		Ref
Chemnitz Stadtbahn Chemnitzer Verkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft 141993–200031.4 m (103 ft)2.65 m (8 ft 8 3⁄8 in)1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge Uni891238 x 45 kW [20] [21]
102000Bi74124
City-Bahn Chemnitz City-Bahn Chemnitz62001
Mannheim Tramway MVV Verkehr 6199632.2 m (106 ft)2.5 m (8 ft 2 3⁄8 in)1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) metre gauge Bi901004 x 95 kW [1]
162002–0742.7 m (140 ft)2.4 m (7 ft 10 1⁄2 in)Uni1291306 x 95 kW
2030.5 m (100 ft)Bi80904 x 95 kW
Duisburg Stadtbahn Duisburger Verkehrsgesellschaft 1199633.8 m (111 ft)2.3 m (7 ft 6 1⁄2 in)1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)Bi381938 x 45 KW [22] [23]
Inner West Light Rail Transport for New South Wales 71997–9828.0 m (91.9 ft)2.65 m (8 ft 8 3⁄8 in)Bi741438 x 45 kW [4]
Helsinki Tramway Helsinki City Transport 401998–200424.4 m (80 ft)2.3 m (7 ft 6 1⁄2 in)1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in)Uni558012 x 45 kW [6]
Heidelberg Tramway Heidelberger Straßen- und Bergbahn 8200239.4 m (129 ft)2.4 m (7 ft 10 1⁄2 in)Bi1001306 x 95 kW [22] [23]
Ludwigshafen Tramway Verkehrsbetriebe Ludwigshafen am Rhein 8200330.5 m (100 ft)2.4 m (7 ft 10 1⁄2 in)Uni88904 x 95 kW [1]
Bochum–Gelsenkirchen Tramway Bochum-Gelsenkirchener Straßenbahnen 302007–1129.6 m (97 ft)2.3 m (7 ft 6 1⁄2 in)Bi681208 x 45 kW [24]
Nuremberg Tramway Verkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft Nürnberg 8200733.8 m (111 ft)2.3 m (7 ft 6 1⁄2 in)1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)Uni871478 x 45 kW [1]
Munich tramway Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft 142008–1133.8 m (111 ft)2.3 m (7 ft 6 1⁄2 in)Uni871478 x 45 kW [12] [25]
Bergen Light Rail Hordaland County Municipality 262009–1742.2 m (138 ft)2.65 m (8 ft 8 3⁄8 in)Bi841288 x 45 kW [19] [26]
Graz Tramway Graz AG Verkehrsbetriebe 452009–27.0 m (88.6 ft)2.3 m (7 ft 6 1⁄2 in)Uni381138 x 45 kW [27]
Potsdam Tramway Verkehrsbetrieb Potsdam 182010–32.2 m (106 ft)2.3 m (7 ft 6 1⁄2 in)Uni571188 x 45 kW [2] [28] [29]
London Trams Transport for London 62011–1232 m (105 ft)2.65 m (8 ft 8 3⁄8 in)Bi72134 [30] [31]
62014–16
Aarhus Letbane Aarhus Letbane I/S 142016–1732.56 m (106.8 ft)2.65 m (8 ft 8 3⁄8 in)Bi841328 x 45 kW [32] [33] [34]

Related Research Articles

Tramlink light rail system in London, United Kingdom

Tramlink, previously Croydon Tramlink, is a light rail tram system serving Croydon and surrounding areas in South London, England. It began operation in 2000, the first tram system in London since 1952. It is owned by London Trams, an arm of Transport for London (TfL), and operated by Tram Operations Ltd, a subsidiary of FirstGroup.

Tram-train Tramway routes which share track with main-line railways

A tram-train is a light-rail public transport system where trams run through from an urban tramway network to main-line railway lines which are shared with conventional trains. This combines the tram's flexibility and accessibility with a train's greater speed, and bridges the distance between main railway stations and a city centre.

Adtranz company

ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation, commonly known under its brand ADtranz, was a multi-national rail transport equipment manufacturer with facilities concentrated in Europe and the US.

Socimi Eurotram

The Socimi Eurotram was an electric tramcar designed for the tram system of Compagnie de Transports Strasbourgeois (CTS). Initially produced by Socimi, after the company became bankrupt Eurotrams were manufactured first by ABB Group's transportation division, then by ADtranz and finally by Bombardier Transportation, who marketed the tram as part of their Flexity Outlook range.

Helsinki tram network tram system

The Helsinki tram network forms part of the Helsinki public transport system organised by Helsinki Regional Transport Authority and operated by Helsinki City Transport in the Finnish capital city of Helsinki. The trams are the main means of transport in the city centre. 56.7 million trips were made in 2013. The Helsinki system is one of the oldest electrified tram networks in the world.

Valmet Nr I

Nr I is a class of articulated six-axle, chopper-driven tram operated by Helsinki City Transport on the Helsinki tram network. All trams of this type were built by the Finnish metal industry corporation Valmet between the years 1973 and 1975.

Stadler Rail is a Swiss manufacturer of railway rolling stock, with an emphasis on regional train multiple units and trams. It is headquartered in Bussnang, Switzerland.

Reeves Corner tram stop tram stop in Croydon UK

Reeves Corner tram stop is a stop on the Tramlink service in central Croydon. It is normally only served by trams travelling from Wimbledon to Croydon; trams going in the opposite direction pass the station on the other side of the road without stopping. The complementary stop for westbound trams is Church Street tram stop.

Karia HM V Finnish tram type

HM V is a class of two-bogie four-axle tram operated by Helsinki City Transport on the Helsinki tram network. All trams of this type were built by the Finnish tram manufacturer Karia in 1959.

Trams in Munich tram system

The Munich tramway is the tramway network for the city of Munich in Germany. Today it is operated by the municipally owned Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft and is known officially and colloquially as the Tram. Previous operators have included Société Anonyme des Tramways de Munich, the Münchner Trambahn-Aktiengesellschaft, the Städtische Straßenbahnen and the Straßenbahn München.

Stadler Tango tram made by Stadler Rail

The Tango is a light rail vehicle and tram made by Stadler Rail. It can be built as either a 100% high-floor or 70% low-floor articulated unit. It is in use in Bochum, Basel, Geneva, Lyon and Aarhus.

Bombardier CR4000 Type of rolling stock used on Tramlink

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

London Trams refers to the arm of Transport for London (TfL) that manages Tramlink and future tram projects in Greater London, England.

Trams in Augsburg tram system

The tram system in Augsburg is the second largest tram system in Bavaria, behind Munich and before Nurnberg. The line is 45.4 kilometers long and runs five lines, with two special lines. The city border gets crossed in three places. Line 2 and Line 3 cross into Stadtbergen, and line 6 crosses into Friedberg. The line first opened in early May of 1881, with horse-drawn trams. In 1881, there was an average of 61 million yearly passengers. In 1972, the trams were electric with overhead powerlines. The trams are operated by the SWA.

Artic (tram) articulated low-floor tram model designed and manufactured by Transtech Ltd

Artic, styled as ARTIC or ForCity Smart, is an articulated low-floor tram model designed and manufactured by Škoda Transtech Oy in Finland. Trams of the design are in operation in Finland and Germany with further large orders in both countries. The design was subsequently rebranded under the Škoda ForCity brand.

Trams in Bochum/Gelsenkirchen

The Bochum/Gelsenkirchen tramway network is a network of tramways focused on Bochum and Gelsenkirchen, two cities in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Bombardier Flexity trams manufactured by Bombardier Transportation

Bombardier Flexity is a family of modern trams/streetcars and light-rail vehicles manufactured by Bombardier Transportation. As of 2015, more than 3,500 Flexity vehicles are in operation around the world in Europe, Asia, Oceania, and North America in 100 cities among 20 countries internationally. Production of the vehicles is done at Bombardier's global production plants and by local manufacturers worldwide through technology transfer agreements.

History of the Helsinki tram system

Helsinki is Finland's only remaining city with tram traffic. Two other cities—Turku (see Turku tram) and Vyborg —have had tram systems. Vyborg abandoned its trams in 1957 after it was ceded to the Soviet Union after the end of World War II. Turku withdrew its trams in 1972.

Munich Class S tram

The class S tram is an articulated electric motor tram built by Stadler Rail for use on the Munich tramway. The units were built off Stadler's Variobahn design and are operated by MVG. The five-section 100% low-floor trams have a total length of 33.94 metres. The first delivered S-car, number 2301, was used for the first time in Munich on 19 March 2009 for a press tour. As of December 2015, the S series currently operates on lines 17, 19, 20, 21 and 22.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Stadler Rail. "Referenzliste Variobahn" (PDF). Retrieved 3 April 2009.[ dead link ]
  2. 1 2 3 "Der ViP will die Variobahn". Potsdamer Neueste Nachrichten (in German). 11 October 2008. Archived from the original on 9 June 2009. Retrieved 3 April 2009.
  3. ↑ Fender, Keith (March 2014). "Chemnitz - Germany's latest tram-train network". Today's Railways - Europe (219). Sheffield: Platform 5 Publishing. pp. 20–29.
  4. 1 2 "Sydney Light Rail Construction and Extension". Railway Technology. Retrieved 3 April 2009.
  5. ↑ "Sydney Variotram 2107 arrives at Loftus – Ride a tram in Sydney Tramway Museum". www.sydneytramwaymuseum.com.au. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  6. 1 2 "HKL: Motor trams 201 - 240 Variotram". Finnish Tramway Society. 27 March 2008. Archived from the original on 14 October 2017. Retrieved 27 June 2008.
  7. ↑ Alku, Antero (6 May 2007). "Variobahn". Kaupunkiliikenne.net (in Finnish). Retrieved 27 June 2008.
  8. 1 2 3 Salonen, Juha (24 August 2007). "Vikojen vaivaamat raitiovaunut pysyvät Helsingin liikenteessä". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 27 June 2008.
  9. ↑ Finnish Tramway Society. "Tram repair shop: Bombardier Transportation" (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 2 October 2008. Retrieved 29 August 2008.
  10. ↑ Salomaa, Marja (22 August 2017). "HKL hankkiutuu eroon vanhoista matalalalattiaraitiovaunuista - Bombardier maksaa korvauksia 33 miljoonaa euroa". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  11. ↑ "Bombardier acquisition of Adtranz approved". Metro Magazine. 1 April 2001.
  12. 1 2 "Variobahn – eine neue Tram für München". Oekonews (in German). 2 April 2009. Retrieved 3 April 2009.
  13. 1 2 3 "London Tramlink prepares to put new trams into service". Railway Gazette International . 15 February 2012.
  14. ↑ "British Trams Online - London Tramlink Fleet List". www.britishtramsonline.co.uk. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  15. 1 2 3 "Stadler wins London Tramlink tram order". Railway Gazette International . 18 August 2011.
  16. ↑ "Croydon tram on test in Chemnitz". Railway Gazette International . 4 January 2012.
  17. ↑ "Croydon Tramlink takes delivery of cars". Railway Gazette International . 24 January 2012.
  18. ↑ Stadler. "Variobahn" (in German). Archived from the original on 15 September 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  19. 1 2 Schmincke, Jimmy (2007). "Nye sporvogner til Bergen". På Sporet (in Norwegian). 132: 4–10.
  20. ↑ City-Bahn Chemnitz. "Die Variobahn NGT6-LDZ" (in German). Archived from the original on 9 June 2009. Retrieved 3 April 2009.
  21. ↑ Stadler Rail. "Chemnitzer Verkehrs-AG (CVAG), Deutschland" (in German). Retrieved 3 April 2009.[ dead link ]
  22. 1 2 Metro Transport Sydney. "Technical Details and All That Stuff..." (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 February 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2009.
  23. 1 2 Stadler Rail. "Stadtbahn Duisburg (DVG) , Deutschland" (in German). Retrieved 3 April 2009.[ dead link ]
  24. ↑ Stadler Rail. "Niederflur Straßenbahn Typ Variobahn" (PDF) (in German). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 June 2010. Retrieved 3 April 2009.
  25. ↑ Stadler Rail. "Niederflurstraßenbahn Typ Variobahn für die Stadtwerke München GmbH (SWM)" (PDF) (in German). Retrieved 3 April 2009.[ dead link ]
  26. ↑ Stadler Rail. "Low-floor light rail vehicle, type Variobahn for Bybanen, Norway" (PDF). Retrieved 3 April 2009.[ dead link ]
  27. ↑ Stadler Rail. "Low-floor tramway, type Variobahn for the Graz AG, Austria" (PDF) (in German). Retrieved 3 April 2009.[ dead link ]
  28. ↑ "Potsdam bestellt 19 Straßenbahnen bei Stadler". Potsdamer Neueste Nachrichten (in German). Retrieved 3 April 2009.
  29. ↑ "Variobahn Potsdam". Stadler GmbH (in German). Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
  30. ↑ "Stadler wins London Tramlink tram order". Railway Gazette International . Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  31. ↑ "Tramlink". Wikipedia . Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  32. ↑ "Aarhus køber samme letbanetog som Bergen" (in Danish). Aarhus Letbane . Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  33. ↑ "German-Italian consortium signs contract for the first LRT-system in Denmark" (in Danish and English). Aarhus Letbane . Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  34. ↑ "Variobahn low-floor Light Rail Vehicle - Letbanen I/S in the city of Aarhus, Denmark" (PDF). Stadler. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 November 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
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.