The Siemens-Duewag U2 is a type of light-rail vehicle (LRV). The cars were built by consortium of Siemens, Wegmann & Co. and Duewag. The U2 design was built on the Siemens U1 prototype tram built in 1965 (now stored at a Frankfurt tram museum).
Originally designed for and used by the Frankfurt U-Bahn (subway/metro system), the model of car was adopted for light-rail use by transit systems in Edmonton, Calgary, and San Diego, during a period in which few purpose-built trams were being manufactured. All U2 cars were built between 1968 and 1990.
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The U2's dimensions are 24.284 m by 2.650 m by 3.66 m. The articulated halves of each car can be seen as a married pair; in the US, usually up to three such 'pairs' run together. Each articulated car has a total passenger capacity of 264 passengers. It may be equipped with two DC motors for a total power output of 300 kW and a maximum speed of 80 km/h, or with four AC motors for an output of 544 kW and speed of 88 km/h.
As the length of a tram or light-rail train running on shared track is restricted to a maximum of 75 meters in Germany, up to three U2 cars may be used in a single consist on such track.
Frankfurt U2 cars use a Scheren (diamond) pantograph, while Calgary, Edmonton and San Diego vehicles use a single-arm (z-shaped) pantograph.
Siemens–Duewag Type U3 is an upgraded version of the U2 with a slightly longer length and cosmetic changes. Introduced in 1977, they entered service in 1980 and were never exported outside of Germany's Frankfurt U-Bahn.
Siemens–Duewag Type U2A on Sacramento Regional Transit's light rail system is an upgraded version of the U2 that shares similar characteristics of the newer SD-100s and SD-160s, yet it still uses the mechanical equipment of the U2.