The LRVs are being assembled by Vossloh Rail Vehicles at its Albuixech plant near Valencia, Spain, while Vossloh Kiepe is supplying electrical equipment traction vehicle control systems, heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, train control systems, passenger information systems, and CCTV.
The 80km/h, 37.2m-long vehicles are 2.65m wide and accommodate up to 224 passengers, 104 of them seated.
VBK and Vossloh say they aim to complete certification of the tram-trains in accordance with German Federal Regulations on the Construction and Operation of Light Rail Systems (BOStrab) by August, enabling the first seven vehicles to enter service on the tram network in Karlsruhe in September.
Following approval for use on the mainline network by the German Federal Railway Authority (EBA), the tram-trains are expected to enter service with Alb Valley Transport Company (AVG) on lines S1 (Hochstetten – Bad Herrenalb) and S11 (Hochstetten – Ittersbach) from the end of the year.
