Stadler to supply further VARIOBAHN trams for BOGESTRA

BOGESTRA has ordered an additional eight VARIOBAHN trams from Stadler for the expansion of its fleet.

This will give the transport company a total of 107 Stadler vehicles, making it the first German local public transport operator to have a fleet size reaching three digits. The Swiss rail vehicle manufacturer had received an order in April for the supply of further light rail vehicles for the U35 Bochum/Herne campus line.

The new low-floor trains are intended for use on the metre-gauge network in the urban areas of Bochum, Gelsenkirchen, Herne, Hattingen and Witten and, according to the contract, are due to be delivered from mid 2021 onwards.

The five-car bidirectional vehicles can carry more than 165 people. They have a constant low floor along their entire length of around 30 metres, as well as being step-free throughout. The comfortable cars offer a bright, friendly passenger area. An optimum passenger flow is achieved thanks to five external swinging-sliding doors on each side.

“We are very pleased to have received an order for eight VARIOBAHN option vehicles following on from the contract signed in April of this year for six more TANGO vehicles. It makes us proud to have been chosen to provide almost the entire light rail and tram fleet for BOGESTRA after more than 14 years of successful, close cooperation,” commented Patrick Sefzik, Head of Tram Sales at Stadler in Berlin.

“Counting the eight new VARIOBAHN trams, we will then have a total of 95 of these vehicles. This means that we will be well equipped to meet future demands in terms of vehicle requirements. With video protection, foldup ramps and air conditioning, the trains have equipment that passengers appreciate,” explains Arndt Hartmann, Vehicles Division Manager at BOGESTRA.