Skoda readies trams for three German cities

Representatives of the tramway company in the German city of Brandenburg an der Havel visited the Skoda factory in Plzen, Czech Republic, on 1 March to see the first of 39 ForCity Plus trams nearing completion. Delivery is expected in April, together with one for Frankfurt-an-der-Oder, while deliveries to Cottbus will start in May. 

 

The 70% low-floor trams with swivelling end bogies have three sections and are single-ended and air-conditioned, with multi-function spaces for wheelchairs, prams or bicycles. Several screens provide easy-to-understand passenger information. 

 

Jan Hard, President West and North for Skoda Group said, ‘These vehicles are tailor-made for three German cities with different needs and environments. For Skoda this project is another important step into Germany, alongside projects for Bonn, Mannheim-Ludwigshafen, Chemnitz and Kassel. Together with our customers we are creating more than just trams; we are creating a comfortable, modern and environmentally-friendly way to travel around Frankfurt, Brandenburg and Cottbus’. 

 

Skoda is building 13 metre-gauge 30.8m trams for Frankfurt-an-der-Oder, 12 for Brandenburg and 22 for Cottbus. Cottbus trams will be 2.4m wide, the others 2.3m wide.