Ultra Low Floor
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The Ultra Low Floor tram (ULF) is a low floor tram currently operating only in Vienna, Austria, with the lowest floor-height of any such vehicle in the world.
In contrast to regular low floor trams, the floor in the interior of ULF is low enough to be at the same height as a sidewalk (about 18 cm above the road surface), which makes access to trams particularly easy for passengers in wheelchairs or with perambulators. This configuration required a completely new design of the undercarriage, and the axles had to be replaced by a complicated electronic steering of the traction motors. Auxiliary devices are installed largely under the roofs of the cars.
The ULF technology went into testing in the early 1990s. Since 1998, ULFs have been in use in Vienna's tram network, built by a consortium composed of Siemens and Elin in Vienna. As of June 20, 2004, 128 cars were in operation, and another 152 cars ordered in mid-2004 are due to enter into service in mid-2006. The producers also hope for orders from other cities, the prospects for which now seem to be improved in light of the technical problems with the Combino.
