The manufacturer will remain unnamed until the contract, which is worth €340m, is finalised. The order will be placed together with Duisburg Transport Company (DVB), which will confirm the order at the end of the month.
The high-floor LRVs will be delivered between 2025 and 2027, and will be designated by Rheinbahn as type HFx. The contract also includes the delivery of spare parts over 24 years and an option for 42 more LRVs of the same type.
The new vehicles will replace Rheinbahn’s current fleet of B80-Alu LRVs, which date back to the mid-1980s and which operate on Rheinbahn’s Stadtbahn network. The LRVs will have a capacity of 178 seated passengers, as well as two multifunctional spaces for wheelchairs, pushchairs and bicycles.
The LRVs will feature concealed automatic centre couplers for operation in multiple which can be hidden via sliding end panels when not in use. Rheinbahn says that this feature will increase attractiveness as well as safety for pedestrians and cyclists in the event of collision.
The LRVs will also be equipped with collision warning systems capable of triggering emergency braking, modern passenger information systems featuring both audio and video elements, and dedicated lighting at entryways.
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