RUSSIA: A prototype Type 71-409 tram left Uraltransmash’s factory in Yekaterinburg on April 4 for Samara, where it is to undergo testing on the 1 524 mm gauge network.
The Uralvagonzavod subsidiary presented its new 100% low-floor model last year. Also available in five-, seven- and nine-section variants, the version being tested in Samara consists of three sections and is 21·5 m long with a crush-load of capacity of 210 and a maximum speed of 75 km/h.
Samara is planning to purchase trams ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, for which Samara is one of the host cities. It has already tested Stadler’s Metelica tram and UKVZ’s Type 71-633.
