New Generation of Vehicles: Wuppertaler Stadtwerke commissions Vossloh Kiepe to create new suspension railcars

Vossloh Kiepe and the Wuppertaler Stadtwerke (WSW) signed a contract on the 10th of November this year for the delivery of 31 new suspension railcars. The order value is 122 million euros. The new vehicles are scheduled to replace the 1970s wagons by the end of 2015.

The new suspension railcars will have a modern appearance and will be equipped with Vossloh Kiepe’s innovative traction technology. This entails the delivery of traction and static converters as well as the control systems. Three-phase alternator motors will be installed which facilitate quick jolt-free acceleration. In addition, the vehicles will be environmentally friendly in that the brake energy is fed back into the network and is then available for the next vehicle. Overall passenger comfort will also be increased by the modern interior and the new heating units.

Vossloh Rail Vehicles in Valencia will be responsible for the assembly of the vehicles. Just like Vossloh Kiepe, this enterprise also belongs to Vossloh AG in Werdohl. The two subsidiaries recently won a major order from Karlsruhe and have completed successful projects for Majorca and the Spanish provinces of León and Gijón.

The first suspension railcar is scheduled to be delivered and tested in the middle of 2014. Two to three vehicles will be delivered monthly thereafter until the end of 2015.