Zürich InnoTram tests components for Cobra upgrade

VBZ Cobra Be5/6 3020 is being used as a test bed for innovations that can be used to update this 20 year old vehicle, one of 88 cars built by Bombardier in 2001-2009 as 100% low-floor five-section aluminium-bodied air-conditioned 36m single-ended trams. 

 

The design came from a consortium formed by ABB, Pininfarina, Schindler and SIG; they are now the oldest all low-floor cars in the 300-strong metre-gauge VBZ fleet. 

 

The innovations are both small and large, and aimed at improving passenger comfort, saving energy and optimising processes. 3020 has eye-catching stickers so the passengers can identify these. City councillor Michael Baumer, responsible for Industrial Enterprises of the City of Zürich, explained that many of these innovations are hidden, so the InnoTram draws passengers’ attention to them. 

 

The innovations include touchless door-opening ‘buttons’ that use a radar sensor to anticipate approaching fingers and sun protection film to limit the rise in interior temperature reducing energy required by the air-conditioning system. LED lighting consumes 80% less energy than bulbs. Wheels are monitored by polygon sensors that detect vibration and show when the profile needs regrinding. A new microphone system is provided for driver announcements. VBZ is working with partners specialising in track construction and maintenance to use a laser to record the condition of the tracks and transfer the information to the network master plan. 

 

VBZ director Marco Lüthi said, ‘Our primary mission is to meet the transport needs of our passengers safely and reliably, and to use the resources available to us efficiently. We always succeed in initiating innovations that benefit passengers and operations and that arouse the interest of industry and other local transport companies’.