On 1 July 2024, the first vehicle of 51 high-floor light rail cars – a pre-series vehicle – arrived at Ruhrbahn GmbH’s main rail vehicle workshop after being carefully transported from the Spanish sun.
The new HF1 is an impressive 28 metres long and 2.65 metres wide. The pre-series vehicle will soon be travelling through Essen and Mülheim an der Ruhr for testing purposes. Built in Zaragoza by the Spanish manufacturer CAF – Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles, the new trains will completely replace the Ruhrbahn’s old Docklands and “Stadtbahn B” vehicles by 2026. Total investment cost: approximately 150 million euros.
In terms of the interior fittings and driver’s cab, the new vehicles are essentially the same as the NF2 and NF4 low-floor trams. At 28 metres long and 2.65 metres wide, they are slightly shorter and wider than the low-floor trams. The modern vehicles have an air-conditioned passenger and driver’s compartment as well as two multifunctional seats for passengers with rollators, wheelchairs or pushchairs. Door opening and closing is supported by a visual and acoustic display. During the tendering process, we also deliberately opted for the tried-and-tested bogie technology with air springs used in the B-cars, which is characterised by smooth running and high ride comfort. For greater safety, the new trams, like the NF4, have a driver assistance system and exterior cameras instead of exterior mirrors.
A second pre-series vehicle will follow in July 2024. These two vehicles will be used in the Ruhrbahn’s service areas to test whether, for example, distances to platform edges at stops are suitable or whether switch crossings work so that the series vehicles are ready for immediate use. Delivery of the series vehicles will begin at the start of 2025. The new vehicles will completely replace the old Docklands and B-cars, which are between 30 and 45 years old, and will also be used on the U11, U17 and U18 lines. The decommissioned old light rail vehicles are up for sale.
The tendering process for the new high-floor trams was launched in May 2019 with a Europe-wide invitation to tender. In June 2021, the purchase agreement for 51 new light rail vehicles was signed at the Ruhrbahn headquarters in Essen together with representatives from CAF: 44 vehicles for Essen and 7 for Mülheim an der Ruhr.
Technical data:
- Vehicle length: 28 m
- Vehicle width: 2.65 m
- Wheelset distance bogie: 2.10 m
- Vehicle height: 3.68 m
- Boarding height: 97 cm
- Wheel diameter new: 720 mm
- Vehicle doors per carriage side: 4 (+1 driver’s door)
- Track gauge: 1,435 mm
- Maximum speed: 80 km/h
(Info: Ruhrbahn)
