the Production of Trams in Ukraine
Alstom
and its Russian joint-venture, TramRus [1], have concluded an
agreement with City Transport Group, a filial of the LAZ Group and
the main bus manufacturer in Ukraine, to produce modern high speed
tramways (street cars) for the Ukrainian market. The agreement was
signed in presence of Ukrainian Prime-Minister, Nikolay Azarov.
80% of the trams currently in operation in Ukraine (2,500 15-metre long trams) are obsolete. The replacement of the fleet will enable urban rail transport efficiency and passenger comfort to be increased.
The objectives of this partnership are to organise manufacturing, operation and maintenance of modern tramways by City Transport Group in Ukraine under licence from TramRus. Based on Alstom’s flagship model Citadis, this tramway was specially designed for the CIS market. Suited to the 1524 mm gauge of the region, the Citadis CIS is winterised [2] to withstand temperatures as low as -40°C. It is equipped with new innovative pivoting bogies to fit the existing rail networks, thus reducing implementation time and infrastructure related costs.
This new tramway model features state-of-the-art engineering solutions such as composite materials reducing energy consumption by 10%. Modular sections ensure easier repair and lower maintenance costs. The lifetime of the Citadis CIS is 30 years, compared with 18 years for the present Ukrainian trams. Designed for maximum speed of 75 km/h, it can run at an average speed of 25 km/h depending on existing infrastructure and signalling systems, compared to 11 km/h for the existing fleet.
Ukraine’s tramway is a full low-floor 25 to 35-metre long vehicle. It can transport up to 255 passengers and provide easy access to people with reduced mobility. It can be equipped with WiFi internet connections and its interior and exterior designs can be fully customised according to the needs of each city.
With more than 1,650 Citadis trams sold in 41 cities worldwide around the world, Alstom is a leader in the manufacturing of tramways. To date, Citadis trams have covered 450 million kilometres across the globe and transported more than five billion passengers.
1. TramRus is a 50/50 joint-venture created by Alstom and its Russian partner Transmashholding to produce tramways for the CIS market in Russia.
2. Adapted to winter conditions.