The Essen Transport Authority (EVAG) has ordered 27 Bombardier Flexity Classic trams from Bombardier Transportation. The contract is valued at approximately 72 million euro ($94 million US). The first two pre-series vehicles will already be delivered in August 2013. The serially produced trams will arrive in Essen from March 2014.
The Essen Transport Authority moves about 330,000 passengers per day and ensures mobility for the people in the city. Essen is a city with a long tram tradition. The first tram went into operation in 1893.
Klaus-Peter Wandelenus, chief technical officer EVAG: "The tender was based on the good experience with the proven 70 percent low-floor technology which is characterised by ensuring a smooth ride and high comfort, low wear and tear of tracks and wheels and a long operating life. The Bombardier Flexity Classic tram fully meets tender expectations. Moreover, we want to have the electrical and mechanical part provided by one manufacturer and not by two."
"With this new order we are successfully continuing our long-standing cooperation with the Essen Transport Authority. We are grateful for the order and the trust placed in us. Our proven Flexity Classic trams will be modified to fit the infrastructure of Essen and fulfills the most recent standards," added Germar Wacker, president Light Rail Vehicles, Bombardier Transportation.
The three-module, bi-directional vehicles are 30 m long and 2.3 m wide and equipped with the innovative Bombardier Mitrac propulsion system. Conventional wheel-set bogies ensure a smooth ride and reduce wear and tear of wheels and tracks. With a capacity of 172 passengers, the vehicle is ideally suited to the city of Essen.
To date a total of more than 550 Flexity Classic trams have been on order or successfully operating worldwide, for example in the cities of Dortmund, Dresden, Frankfurt, Halle, Kassel and Krakow. The new Flexity trams for Essen are based on the M8D low-floor trams of the first generation, fully compliant and air-conditioned.
The trams are produced at Bombardier's site in Bautzen, Germany. The electrical equipment will be provided from its site in Mannheim, the bogies from its site in Siegen, also both in Germany.
Bombardier offers the industry's most complete portfolio of light rail solutions with a strong reputation for performance and reliability. To date, more than 3,500 Bombardier trams and LRVs are in revenue service or on order in approximately 100 cities across Europe, Australia and North America.
