KASSEL Transport (KVG) has awarded Škoda Transportation a €88m contract to supply 22 LRVs for the city’s light rail network, with an option for 18 more.
They are the first Škoda LRVs that will be equipped with an anti-collision system to protect passengers and pedestrians, which was first presented at InnoTrans 2022. The system creates a virtual tunnel in front of the LRV which alerts the driver and activates the emergency brake if it detects an obstacle. The area surrounding the LRV is monitored by a range of sensors including Lidar, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and cameras.
The three-section bi-directional LRVs are 30m long, with four twin-axle bogies. The low-floor vehicles have four doors per side and feature spaces for passengers with reduced mobility. Automatic couplers will allow the LRVs to operate in multiple or to haul a trailer car.
Delivery is scheduled to begin in 2026, with commercial operations starting in 2027. The LRVs will only operate on the city network and not on tram-train services in the Kassel region. Light rail carries 80% of the 48 million passengers who travel on the Kassel public transport network each year.
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