PESA breaks in to German tram market

Polish rolling stock manufacturer PESA of Bydgoszcz used its presence at Innotrans 2026 to announced its first tram order from a German system. Braunschweiger Verkehrs-GmbH (BSVG), the public transport operator in the north German city of Braunschweig (Brunswick) will get 12 PESA Twist 3.0 low-floor trams, with an option for 10 more, with delivery to start in 2029. Each tram will cost EUR 5.42M, with Braunschweig receiving EUR 24M from state of Lower Saxony to help cover the cost. The 33m trams will each carry up to 202 passengers and feature rotating bogies and air-conditioning. The trams will be built in Bydgoszcz and finished at the Heiterblick factory in Leipzig that PESA purchased earlier this year. 

 

Frank Brand, Managing Director of BSVG, said ’Thanks to the new trams our passengers will gain more space, significantly improved travel comfort and modern amenities. Our customers and residents of areas located near tram lines will also benefit thanks to the free-rotating bogies, a solution that reduces noise and rail wear and provides a higher level of travel comfort'. 

 

Braunschweig, which first saw horse trams in 1879, has an unusual gauge of 1100mm, with six lines covering 42.3km worked by 49 trams. The PESA trams will replace ADtranz articulated cars dating from 1995.