The three-section bi-directional vehicles will be 30m long and 2.3m wide and will accommodate 172 passengers. The bodyshells will be built at Bombardier's Bautzen factory, while the bogies will come from its Siegen plant, and the electrical equipment will be produced in Mannheim.

MVG, together with the transport authorities of Essen (Evag) and Duisburg (DVG), has been a subsidiary of Via Transport Authority since its formation in 2010. Evag ordered 27 Flexity LRVs from Bombardier in December 2011 and MVG was able to take up an option under this contract for five vehicles in June 2012.

"With this tram we have achieved a high level of standardisation which will result in short servicing and maintenance periods," says MVG's managing director Mr Klaus-Peter Wandelenus. "There is no room for isolated solutions and technical experiments. The new low-floor trams symbolise how we will act in Via in future."