Flexity Swift

Flexity Swift
A low-floor 2010 Flexity Swift from Metro do Porto in Porto, Portugal.
Manufacturer Bombardier Transportation
Specifications
Articulations 2
Length See tables
Width See tables
Height (?)
Weight See tables
Maximum speed 80 km/h (50 mph)
Steep gradient (?)
Minimum turning radius (?)
Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)

The Flexity Swift tram is a family of urban and inter-urban light-rail vehicles manufactured by Bombardier Transportation for a wide number of customers across Europe. Bombardier also manufactures several other families of tram to suit the needs and requirements of customers including the Flexity Classic and the Flexity 2 as well as legacy designs from its acquisition of Adtranz such as the Flexity Outlook.

Introduction

The Flexity Swift family are all bi-directional with cabs at both ends and doors on both sides and an emphasis is placed on speed with units capable of safely reaching speeds of 80 km/h (50 mph) when running on dedicated lines. The trams vary in length and are articulated with three sections; the centre section is very short on most trams but can be replaced with a longer piece in order to increase capacity, as London is considering doing for future lines. The trams can also be coupled together into trains. Most vehicles typically weigh between 35 and 40 tonnes (34 and 39 long tons; 39 and 44 short tons), though the ones made for the Minneapolis line are heavier due to stricter crashworthiness requirements in the United States (particularly buff strength) and the vehicles in Rotterdam are also heavier due to increased length and more motors. The Flexity Swift family comes in two distinct versions with a 70% low-floor version to allow access to those in wheelchairs without requiring the construction of high platforms in city streets and a high-floor version with level boarding at raised platforms in order to retain compatibility with stations built for older trams or trains.

Systems using the Flexity Swift tram include Cologne (for which it was originally designed), south London's Tramlink, Istanbul, Rotterdam, Stockholm (lines 12 and 22), and the Minneapolis-Saint Paul METRO Light Rail. Merseytram in Liverpool/Merseyside planned to use the same model as London, however the tram scheme has been cancelled. Several independent orders[1] have been made for Flexity Swift trams for use on Manchester Metrolink in England which as of January 2010, have begun to be delivered at a rate of two units per month, additional units have since been ordered bringing the total to 62.

The Flexity Swift's closest competitors are Alstom's Citadis, the Siemens Combino and Avanto, Sirio from Ansaldobreda, and Bombardier's other Flexity trams.

Technical specifications

Low-floor versions

City Operator Image Type designation Built in Number of
vehicles		 Length
m (ft)		 Width
m (ft in)		 Weight (empty)
t (LT; ST)		 Maximum power
kW (hp)
Cologne, Germany KVB K4000 1995–1999, 2002 124 28.40 m (93.2 ft) 2.65 m (8 ft 8 in) 35.50 t (34.94 long tons; 39.13 short tons) 4 x 120 kW (160 hp)
K4500 2004–2007 69 28.50 m (93.5 ft) 2.65 m (8 ft 8 in) 37.40 t (36.81 long tons; 41.23 short tons) 4 x 120 kW (160 hp)
Croydon (Tramlink)
Greater London,
United Kingdom 		TfL CR4000 1998–2000 24 30.10 m (98.8 ft) 2.65 m (8 ft 8 in) 36.30 t (35.73 long tons; 40.01 short tons) 4 x 120 kW (160 hp)
Istanbul, Turkey ITC A32 2003 55 29.70 m (97.4 ft) 2.65 m (8 ft 8 in) 39.20 t (38.58 long tons; 43.21 short tons) 4 x 120 kW (160 hp)
Karlsruhe, Germany AVG and VBK ET 2010 (Tram-train) 2011-2013 30 37 m (121 ft) 2.65 m (8 ft 8 in) 62 t (61 long tons; 68 short tons) 4 x 150 kW (200 hp)
Melbourne, Australia Yarra Trams E 2013-2018 50 (options for a further 100) 33 m (108 ft) 2.65 m (8 ft 8 in) 6 x 85 kW (114 hp)
Minneapolis, Minnesota
(METRO Light Rail), USA 		Metro Transit Type 1 LRV 2003–2007 27 28.65 m (94.0 ft) 2.65 m (8 ft 8 in) 48.50 t (47.73 long tons; 53.46 short tons)
Porto, Portugal Metro do Porto Traintram 2010 30 37.07 m (121.6 ft) 2.65 m (8 ft 8 in)
RijnGouweLijn,
Netherlands 		NS A32 1999–2003 6 (sold to
Stockholm
June 2010) 		29.70 m (97.4 ft) 2.65 m (8 ft 8 in) 37.50 t (36.91 long tons; 41.34 short tons) 4 x 120 kW (160 hp)
Stockholm, Sweden SL A32 1999–2008 37 (includes
6 in second
hand) 		29.70 m (97.4 ft) 2.65 m (8 ft 8 in) 37.50 t (36.91 long tons; 41.34 short tons) 4 x 120 kW (160 hp)

High-floor versions

City Operator Image Type designation Built in Number of vehicles Length Width Weight (empty) Maximum power
Bonn, Germany SWB K5000 2003 15 28.40 m 2.65 m 37.80 t 4 x 120 kW
Bursa, Turkey Bursaray U5-2010 Bursa 2010 – 2011 30 28.00 m 2.65 m 38.00 t 4 x 120 kW
Cologne, Germany KVB K5000 2002–2003 59 28.40 m 2.65 m 37.80 t 4 x 120 kW
K5200 2010-2011 15 2.65 m
2020-2021 20 28 m 2.65 m
Dusseldorf, Germany Rheinbahn HF6 2017-2020 42 28 m 2.65 m
Frankfurt am Main, Germany VgF U5-25 (Bi-directional) 2008–2017 94 25.02 m 2.65 m 37.20 t 4 x 130 kW
U5-50 (Uni-directional) 2008–2017 130 24.764 m 2.65 m 36.15 t 4 x 130 kW
İzmir, Turkey İzmir Metro MD Ordered 2001 30 23.5 m 2.65 m 32.00 t 4 x 75 kW
M Ordered 2001 15 23.5 m 2.65 m 4 x 75 kW
Greater Manchester, England Metrolink M5000 2009 - 2017 120 28.40 m 2.65 m 39.70 t 4 x 120 kW
Rotterdam, Netherlands RET MG2/1, SG2/1 1998 - 2002 81 30.50 m 2.664 m 44.20 t 6 x 85 kW
RSG3, SG3 2007 - 2011 64 42.00 m 2.664 m 64.30 t 8 x 130 kW

References

  1. ↑ Light Rail Transport Association since the first on 25th June 2008.

External links