First 100% low-floor bogie tram on test in Poznan

MPK, the tram and bus operator in the Polish city of Poznan, has started trials with the prototype 100% low-floor 16m bogie tram from Modertrans, the Moderus Gamma LF05AC. 

 

This is the first single unit tram to be produced in Poland with a low floor throughout (earlier trams for Tramway Slake in Katowice were partly low-floor). Car 600 is leased by MPK from Modertrans. 

 

600 has an innovative drive system using silicon carbide transistors for greater energy saving, smoothness of driving and almost completely silent operation. The bogies are about 15% lighter than previous examples and equipped with smaller asynchronous motors. An electro-mechnical parking brake is installed, so there is no oil waste. Regenerative braking is another energy-saving feature, with super capacitors to store the captured energy. These also permit 2km of operation away from overhead wires. The tram is fully air-conditioned using carbon dioxide for cooling and there is the option of reversing the air conditioner to create a heat pump for winter operation. 

 

Poznan already operates 20 Moderus Gamma LF03AC five-section 32m articulated trams built in 2019 in the factory that used to be the main workshops of MPK.