The commissioning of GVB Amsterdam’s new CAF Urbos trams

Amsterdam is receiving new trams! The first new CAF Urbos low-floor tram arrived in Amsterdam in April 2019 and is currently undergoing intensive testing and driver training. The trams will enter commercial operation at the end of 2019. Amsterdam’s public transport operator GVB Activa B.V. ordered a total of 63 Urbos low-floor trams with CAF in 2016 with an option for further 63 trams. The new bidirectional vehicles are 100 % low-floor and consist in five modules.

New trams for network extension and fleet renewal

Amsterdam’s tram network has a length of 95 km with 16 lines operating. The network is currently operated with 155 Siemens Combino low-floor trams and 45 BN-built 11G and 12G high-floor trams with low-floor centre section. The main reasons for the procurement are the following:

• The conversion of the Amstelveen line (metro / express tram line 51) into the Amstel tram between the Zuid and Amstelveen Westwijk stations; Urban Transport Magazine reported here: https://hosting129892.a2e10.netcup.net/en/amsterdam-a-new-tram-route-to-amstelveen/
• Replacement of 13 of the S1 and S2 series light rail vehicles dating from 1990 and 12 from 1993-1994
• Replacement of 45 trams of the series 11G and 12G dating from 1989-1991
• Expected passenger growth, in particular on IJtram line 26 but also on the other tram lines
• In addition, the fleet has become too tight since the decommissioning and removal of the last trams of the 9G and 10G series in 2015 and 2016.

The new 15G trams

The CAF Urbos 100 trams will receive the series denomination 15G in Amsterdam, following tradition of Amsterdam’s trams. CAF will supply the 63 five-section trams by 2022. Each tram has a length of 30 metres and a width of 2.4 metres. Each tram has a capacity for 175 passengers, including 50 seated. The trams are equipped with both cab air conditioning and passenger saloon air conditioning with an energy-efficient heat-pump and CO2-sensors in order to regulate the fresh air flow. Furthermore, the vehicles are equipped with a control and monitoring and a front collision systems.

Since May 2019, testing is carried out on Amsterdam’s complex infrastructure. Since June 2019, specific vehicle tests and driver training are taking place. In July 2019, one Urbos has been measured in the climate chamber of DB Systemtechnik in Minden, Germany.

Source: GVB