GERMANY: The first of 56 Stadler TINA trams ordered by Halle municipal operator HAVAG has entered trial operation on routes 1, 2 and 3.
‘TINA marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for our passengers and local transport in Halle – it will be a real milestone’, commented HAVAG CEO Vinzenz Schwarz when the tram entered service on September 2. ‘Not only are we bringing more comfort, safety and climate protection to the rails, we are also setting new standards that will make our city even more liveable. It’s an incredible feeling to experience this leap into the future of local transport together with our passengers.’
The TINA acronym stands for Total Integrierter Niederflur-Antrieb, or ‘total integrated low-floor drive’. The €168m order placed in August 2022 covers 17 MGT-XL trams 45 m long which are able to carry 267 passengers including 96 seated, as well as 39 shorter MGT-M cars 30m long with 64 seats and capacity for 166 passengers. The longer type has been put into service first, with the shorter cars expected to begin trial operation from November.
The 100% low-floor trams offer step-free access, with wide aisles, multifunctional areas for wheelchair users and pushchairs and large panoramic windows intended to make the interiors bright and friendly with an unobstructed view.
They are designed to be energy-efficient, with LED lighting and automatic air-conditioning for summer and winter. They have cameras instead of exterior mirrors, and a driver assistance system with support for collision avoidance and monitoring of passenger flows. The large modern cab provides a comfortable workspace for the driver, with a separate entrance door and space for an instructor.
The trams are heavier than their predecessors at 60 or 45 tonnes depending on length, and this has led to higher vibrations at some locations which Stadler and HAVAG are working to address.
So far five TINA trams have been delivered to Halle. Once the trial operation phase has been completed, additional trams will gradually enter service to replace MGT6D vehicles more than 30 years old.
