Passenger operation has begun: New light rail vehicles of the type “Citylink NET 2012” on the rails in Karlsruhe

The new vehicles, which are 37.2 m long and 2.65 m broad, fulfil the increasing requirements for mobility and passenger comfort

On October 18, 2014 the Verkehrsbetriebe Karlsruhe GmbH (VBK) took up passenger operation with the first low-floor light rail vehicle of the type “Citylink NET 2012”.

In October 2011 the Düsseldorf traction specialist Vossloh Kiepe GmbH and its Spanish associate company Vossloh Rail Vehicles were awarded the contract for the supply of altogether 25 new LRVs.

The new vehicles, which are 37.2 m long and 2.65 m broad, fulfil the increasing requirements for mobility and passenger comfort

After the festive rollout on October 17, 2014 the citizens of Karlsruhe had the opportunity the next day to intensively get to know two of the new vehicles during free short trips on a ring line in the inner city of Karlsruhe. The run on the new vehicles was significant and the resonance was completely positive both among the passengers and among the drivers.

The Net 2012 is a barrier-free LRV that connects the area surrounding Karlsruhe with the inner city of Karlsruhe and thus contributes considerably to high urban mobility.

“It is a pleasure to see that our combination of tramcar and regional railway is received so positively by the visitors and passengers. The Citylink vehicles have been tailor-made to the Karlsruhe infrastructure and to the lines on which they are operated in the area surrounding Karlsruhe. Of course, the wishes of the drivers and the passengers have also been considered extensively”, says Volker Dörr, project manager of Vossloh Kiepe GmbH.

The new vehicles, which are 37.2 m long and 2.65 m broad, fulfil the increasing requirements for mobility and passenger comfort, not only due to their appealing design and the multifunctional design of the interior, but also due to the modern, reliable and innovative electrical equipment from Vossloh Kiepe. Thus, Vossloh Kiepe has delivered e.g. the complete traction equipment, the vehicle control system, the on-board power supply system, the air conditioning system for the passenger compartment and the driver’s cab, the train protection system and the passenger information system as well as the CCTV.

At InnoTrans 2014 in Berlin the homologation certificate pursuant to the German Federal Regulations on the Construction and Operation of Light Rail Transit Systems (BOStrab) was handed over for the Karlsruhe Citylink by the responsible technical supervisory authority on September 25, 2014. At present, four vehicles have arrived in Karlsruhe, the fifth vehicle is on its way. The manufacture and putting into service of the remaining vehicles is proceeding well so that further LRVs can take up passenger operation in Karlsruhe in the near future.