Variobahn

Variobahn on London's Tramlink network

The Variobahn, formerly known as the Variotram, is a German-designed articulated low-floor tram model. Since its introduction in 1993, the Variobahn has been manufactured variously by ABB, Adtranz, Bombardier Transportation, and since 2001 by Stadler Rail. As of 2009, 254 trams have been ordered, with an additional 110 on option. A unit costs about €2.5 million.^[1][2]

Operators include the Graz Holding, the Bergen Light Rail, the Chemnitz Tramway, Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr, the Helsinki Tramway, the Rhine Neckar Area Tramway, London Tramlink and the Sydney light rail network.

History

Variotram in Nuremberg, Germany

Prototypes and early deliveries

The Variotram was first developed by ABB Asea Brown Boveri at Henschel and a prototype was launched in 1993 for the Chemnitz tramway in Germany, operated by Chemnitzer Verkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft (CVAG). The serial delivery, with minor modifications, was made between 1998 and 2001—bringing the total number of units for Chemnitz to thirty. Of these, twenty-four were operated by CVAG and six by City-Bahn Chemnitz. In 1995, ABB's train division merged to become Adtranz. One prototype the following year sold to the Duisburg Stadtbahn, but serial production was never initiated for Duisburg.^[1][3]

In 1996, six trams were delivered to serve on the light rail between Mannheim, Heidelberg and Weinheim, Germany, operated by Oberrheinischen Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft. From 2001 to 2007, it ordered additional 20 trams. These were supplemented in 2002 by 8 trams for the Heidelberg Tramway, and in 2001–07 by 16 trams for the Mannheim Tramway.^[1] In 1996 the Sydney light rail system, in Australia, took delivery of seven trams, which were built in Dandenong, Victoria.^[4][5]

Helsinki

Variotram in Helsinki, Finland

Forty Variotrams were delivered to Helsinki City Transport (HKL), Finland, between 1998 and 2003 for use on the Helsinki tramway, at a cost of €76 million.^[6] These trams were built by Transtech (who later produced the newer Artic models) in Otanmäki under a technology transfer agreement with Adtranz. During this time the company was acquired by Bombardier, who inherited the design in 2000, making the Helsinki trams the only Variotrams to be produced under the Bombardier name.

In service, the Variotrams were found to be ill-suited for Helsinki's tram network, having suffered from numerous technical problems, including cracks in the bogies and vehicle body shells. Before 2009 often less than half of the trams have been in working condition.^[7][8] HKL considered returning the trams to Bombardier as unsatisfactory, but after a long series of negotiations a compromise was reached in May 2007, when the responsibility for maintaining the trams was transferred to Bombardier.^[8] The contract agreed in May 2007 states that, from May 2008 onwards, if more than four Variotrams in Helsinki are not in operational condition, Bombardier must pay a daily fine to the HKL for every non-operational tram. If more than eight trams are in non-operational condition, HKL has the right to cancel the contract and return the trams to Bombardier, who are obliged to return the €76 million that HKL paid for the trams.^[8] In order to cope with the requirements of the agreement, Bombardier established its own maintenance workshop in Helsinki in mid-2008, located in the premises of the former VR Group electric locomotive workshop in Pasilan Konepaja.^[9]

Stadler

Stadler built Variobahn for the Bergen Light Rail.

To concentrate on its own Flexity family of vehicles, Bombardier reached an agreement with the European Commission where Bombardier would divest the Variotram division to Stadler Rail of Switzerland.^[10]

Stadler subsequently renamed the tram as Variobahn and has since secured several contracts,^[1] delivering:

• 8 trams for use on the Ludwigshafen tramway
• 30 trams for the Bochum–Gelsenkirchen tramway
• 8 trams for the Nuremberg tramway
• 14 trams for the Munich tramway^[11]
• 12 trams for the Bergen Light Rail
• 45 trams for the Graz tramway
• 19 trams for the Potsdam tramway^[2]
• 6 trams for the Croydon Tramlink in London^[12]

As of 2009, a total of 254 Variobahn trams have been ordered, with an additional 110 on option. A unit costs about €2.5 million.^[1]

Problems in Munich

In December 2014, MVG took seven of its Variobahns out of service due to cracks in vehicle bodies. By January 2015, all Variobahns had to be withdrawn for repairs. MVG chose not to exercise options to buy any more Variobahns, and turned to Siemens to supply its next generation of trams.

Specifications

Variobahn in Mannheim, Germany

The Variotram is a low-floor light rail tram designed for city center operation. Since customers consist of both existing and new systems, and their specifications vary, the Variotram has flexibility in specifications. It can be built as uni- or bi-directional, with 70 or 100% low floor. Rail gauge can be standard gauge or metre gauge. Width options include 2.3 metres (7 ft 7 in), 2.4 metres (7 ft 10 in), 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in) and 2.65 metres (8 ft 8 in). The length varies with either three, four, five or seven articulated modules. The floor height is 350 millimetres (14 in) over the rail. The seating and standing arrangements are flexible, and the trams feature 1,350 millimetres (53 in) wide doors. The tram has hub motors on all wheels, thus eliminating the need for axles and bogies. These compact motors are the key to the low-floor concept, since they can be placed under the seating. This allows the full length of the tram to be step-free accessible from the platforms.^[13]

Several of the configurations of the trams are customizable to fit each tramway. In addition to the four possible widths and choice of gauge, the trams can be custom-built for the necessary length.^[1] Trams are built modally, so that they can later be rebuilt or extended.^[14] All trams built so far have five modules and twelve wheels. The trams are available with four motor settings: four or six wheels powered with 95-kilowatt (127 hp) motors, or eight or twelve wheels with 45-kilowatt (60 hp) motors. Of the models built so far, the length has varied from 24.4 to 42.8 metres (80 to 140 ft) (Helsinki and Mannheim, respectively). Similarly, tare weight varies from 35 to 50 tonnes (34 to 49 long tons; 39 to 55 short tons). Seating capacity varies between 38 (Graz) and 100 (Heidelberg), while standing capacity peaks at 193 for the Duisburg version.^[1]

Production

System	Owner	Quantity	Delivery	Length	Width	Gauge	Operation	Seats	Standing	Maximum power kW	Ref
Chemnitz Stadtbahn	Chemnitzer Verkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft	14	1993–2000	31.4 m (103 ft)	2.65 m (8 ft 8 in)	Standard	Uni	89	123	8 x 45 kW	[15][16]
		10	2000				Bi	74	124
City-Bahn Chemnitz	City-Bahn Chemnitz	6	2001
Mannheim Tramway	MVV Verkehr	6	1996	32.2 m (106 ft)	2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)	Meter	Bi	90	100	4 x 95 kW	[1]
		16	2002–07	42.7 m (140 ft)	2.4 m (7 ft 10 in)		Uni	129	130	6 x 95 kW
		20		30.5 m (100 ft)			Bi	80	90	4 x 95 kW
Duisberg Stadtbahn	Duisburger Verkehrsgesellschaft	1	1996	33.8 m (111 ft)	2.3 m (7 ft 7 in)	Standard	Bi	38	193	8 x 45 KW	[4][17]
Inner West Light Rail	Transport for New South Wales	7	1997–98	28.0 m (91.9 ft)	2.65 m (8 ft 8 in)	Standard	Bi	74	143	8 x 45 kW	[4][5]
Helsinki Tramway	Helsinki City Transport	40	1998–2004	24.4 m (80 ft)	2.3 m (7 ft 7 in)	Meter	Uni	55	80	12 x 45 kW	[6]
Heidelberg Tramway	Heidelberger Straßen- und Bergbahn	8	2002	39.4 m (129 ft)	2.4 m (7 ft 10 in)	Meter	Bi	100	130	6 x 95 kW	[4][17]
Ludwigshafen Tramway	Verkehrsbetriebe Ludwigshafen am Rhein	8	2003	30.5 m (100 ft)	2.4 m (7 ft 10 in)	Meter	Uni	88	90	4 x 95 kW	[1]
Bochum–Gelsenkirchen Tramway	Bochum-Gelsenkirchener Straßenbahnen	30	2007–11	29.6 m (97 ft)	2.3 m (7 ft 7 in)	Meter	Bi	68	120	8 x 45 kW	[18]
Nuremberg Tramway	Verkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft Nürnberg	8	2007	33.8 m (111 ft)	2.3 m (7 ft 7 in)	Standard	Uni	87	147	8 x 45 kW	[1]
Munich tramway	Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft	14	2008–11	33.8 m (111 ft)	2.3 m (7 ft 7 in)	Standard	Uni	87	147	8 x 45 kW	[11][19]
Bergen Light Rail	Hordaland County Municipality	26	2009–17	32.2 m (106 ft) 42.2 m (138 ft)	2.65 m (8 ft 8 in)	Standard	Bi	84	128	8 x 45 kW	[14][20]
Graz Tramway	Graz AG Verkehrsbetriebe	45	2009–	27.0 m (88.6 ft)	2.3 m (7 ft 7 in)	Standard	Uni	38	113	8 x 45 kW	[21]
Potsdam Tramway	Verkehrsbetrieb Potsdam	18	2010–	32.2 m (106 ft)	2.3 m (7 ft 7 in)	Standard	Uni	57	118	8 x 45 kW	[2][22][23]
Tramlink	Transport for London	6	2012	32 m (105 ft)	2.65 m (8 ft 8 in)	Standard	Bi	72	134		[24]
Aarhus Letbane	Aarhus Letbane I/S	12	2017	32 m (105 ft)	2.65 m (8 ft 8 in)	Standard	Bi	(224 total)			[25][26]

References

1. Stadler Rail. "Referenzliste Variobahn" (PDF). Retrieved 3 April 2009.
2. "Der ViP will die Variobahn". Potsdamer Neuste Nachrichten (in German). 11 October 2008. Retrieved 3 April 2009.
3. Fender, Keith (March 2014). "Chemnitz - Germany's latest tram-train network". Today's Railways - Europe (219) (Sheffield: Platform 5 Publishing). pp. 20–29.
4. Metro Transport Sydney. "Technical Details and All That Stuff..." (PDF). Retrieved 3 April 2009.
5. "Sydney Light Rail Construction and Extension". Railway Technology. Retrieved 3 April 2009.
6. "HKL: Motor trams 201 - 240 Variotram". Finnish Tramway Society. 27 March 2008. Retrieved 27 June 2008.
7. Alku, Antero (6 May 2007). "Variobahn". Kaupunkiliikenne.net (in Finnish). Retrieved 27 June 2008.
8. Salonen, Juha (24 August 2007). "Vikojen vaivaamat raitiovaunut pysyvät Helsingin liikenteessä". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 27 June 2008.
9. Finnish Tramway Society. "Tram repair shop: Bombardier Transportation" (in Finnish). Retrieved 29 August 2008.
10. Bombardier (3 April 2001). "Bombardier Welcomes the European Commission Approval of the Acquisition of Adtranz". Marketwire. Retrieved 3 April 2009.
11. "Variobahn – eine neue Tram für München". Oekonews (in German). 2 April 2009. Retrieved 3 April 2009.
12. "London Tramlink prepares to put new trams into service". Railway Gazette International. 15 February 2012.
13. Stadler. "Variobahn" (in German). Retrieved 2012-09-24.
14. Schmincke, Jimmy (2007). "Nye sporvogner til Bergen". På Sporet (in Norwegian) 132: 4–10.
15. City-Bahn Chemnitz. "Die Variobahn NGT6-LDZ" (in German). Retrieved 3 April 2009.
16. Stadler Rail. "Chemnitzer Verkehrs-AG (CVAG), Deutschland" (in German). Retrieved 3 April 2009.
17. Stadler Rail. "Stadtbahn Duisburg (DVG) , Deutschland" (in German). Retrieved 3 April 2009.
18. Stadler Rail. "Niederflur Straßenbahn Typ Variobahn" (PDF) (in German). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 13, 2010. Retrieved 3 April 2009.
19. Stadler Rail. "Niederflurstraßenbahn Typ Variobahn für die Stadtwerke München GmbH (SWM)" (PDF) (in German). Retrieved 3 April 2009.
20. Stadler Rail. "Low-floor light rail vehicle, type Variobahn for Bybanen, Norway" (PDF). Retrieved 3 April 2009.
21. Stadler Rail. "Low-floor tramway, type Variobahn for the Graz AG, Austria" (PDF) (in German). Retrieved 3 April 2009.
22. "Potsdam bestellt 19 Straßenbahnen bei Stadler". Potsdamer Neuste Nachrichten (in German). Retrieved 3 April 2009.
23. "Variobahn Potsdam". Stadler GmbH (in German). Retrieved 20 March 2012.
24. "Stadler wins London Tramlink tram order". Railway Gazette International. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
25. "Aarhus køber samme letbanetog som Bergen" (in Danish). Aarhus Letbane. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
26. "German-Italian consortium signs contract for the first LRT-system in Denmark" (in Danish and English). Aarhus Letbane. Retrieved 17 March 2016.