DENMARK: Stadler Valencia has been awarded a contract to supply the Aarhus Letbane with eight Citylink tram-trains designed for ‘challenging’ winter conditions, with traction batteries able to provide power for up to 10 km if the overhead wires are iced-over or there is a supply problem.
The contract signed on December 2 has an option for a further 12 vehicles as well as spare parts management.
Increasing capacity
Stadler previously supplied trams and tram-trains for the Aarhus light rail network which opened in stages in 2017-19. The latest order will enable the operator to boost peak capacity from the summer of 2029.
‘Experience shows that we can attract more customers with more departures’, said Lars Berg CEO of transport authority Midttrafik. ‘The vehicles can offer more departures during rush hour. In this way, the light rail will be an even better alternative to the car and help solve the city’s increasing traffic challenges’.
The four-car 100 km/h Citylink tram-trains will be 49 m long with a capacity of 324 passengers, 80 more than the current Tango tram-trains. They will have 152 seats including 16 folding seats.
Each end car will have sliding steps for level boarding and a dedicated wheelchair space as well as spaced for pushchairs and bicycles, while the low floor with ‘minimal’ steps at the ends will provide easy movement.
The use of tram-trains able to operate on the urban tram lines as well as regional railway tracks ‘strengthens light rail as a vital connection between Aarhus city and the countryside’, said Mie Krog, Chair of the Aarhus Letbane board. ‘This is fully in line with our vision of providing reliable and efficient transport for east Jylland – on time, every time’.
