Two Tram 2000 trams with a factory low-floor section have been delivered to Vinnytsia. This is the second pair from a batch of 23 cars: the first trams from Zurich were received earlier by the city. Before they hit the routes, the vehicles will be adapted and tested. The Vinnytsia City Council reports on this.
The new cars are already in the tram depot. Each consists of three sections and is 28.5 meters long. They are longer than the Tram 2000s already operating in Vinnytsia, allowing them to carry more passengers.
Tram 2000 in Vinnytsia: what makes the new cars different
The main feature of this batch of Tram 2000 is the middle section with a low floor, manufactured at the factory. Step-free access will make traveling easier for people in wheelchairs, passengers with strollers, and anyone who finds it difficult to navigate high steps.
Previously, Vinnytsia specialists would independently install low-floor modules during the modernization of Tram 2000s. In the newly arrived cars, such a section is already included in the design; however, the interior still needs to be adapted to Ukrainian requirements.
According to Andrii Sorokin, the head of the transport and city mobility department, there will be designated spots for passengers in wheelchairs in the middle section. Before launching the Tram 2000, it will be equipped with two such places.
When will the Swiss trams enter the routes of Vinnytsia
Validators, an information system, and external light signaling will be installed on the Tram 2000s in the depot. The braking equipment and traction drive of the bogies will be checked separately, as they differ from the systems of trams already familiar to the city.
After adaptation, the Tram 2000s will undergo testing on the tracks and certification. Only then will they be prepared for passenger transportation. The city council has not yet announced a specific date for the new pair to enter the routes.
According to the city council, currently around 80% of the rolling stock of Vinnytsia's public transport meets the needs of people who find it difficult to use high steps. Work also includes the arrangement of stops and training for drivers.
The update of the fleet concerns various types of transport: in Vinnytsia, low-floor Solaris buses have also been gradually introduced into operation . The new Tram 2000s are expected to increase the number of accessible trams after all checks are completed.