Bratislava’s new tram begins operating

Bratislava’s new tram begins operating

The newest tram produced by the Škoda Pilsen plant has recently been introduced and put into operation in Bratislava. It is the first ForCity Plus tram of a bidirectional type.

The concept of the ForCity Plus vehicles is based on previous experience with low-floor trams. The delivery for the city of Bratislava contains both bidirectional and unidirectional vehicles equipped with modern electronics. All trams have five car bodies; the first and the last chassis are fully revolving and have a gauge of 1,000mm. The vehicle is equipped with six traction engines, each one with the output of 100 kW, providing the vehicle with excellent dynamic properties.

Bratislava’s new tram begins operating

The vehicles, in particular, offer plenty of space for the passengers, suitable location of handholds and very quiet operation. The trams are completely air-conditioned, including the driver’s cabin. A well-arranged audiovisual informative system, including a device for voice communication between blind passengers and the driver comes as standard. Passengers with reduced mobility will find a tilting platform which enables their convenient boarding and alighting. Safety of the passengers is guaranteed by CCTV with six internal and six external cameras.

In June 2013, Škoda Transportation was the winner of two public contracts for the Bratislava Transportation Company. It was for 15 bidirectional and 15 unidirectional trams. In April 2014, the first option for another 15 bidirectional trams was exercised. The delivery of the first 45 contracted trams is planned during 2015. The deadline for the delivery of the 15 unidirectional trams from the last exercised option should be roughly by the middle of 2016.