Artic (tram)
| Artic | |
|---|---|
_in_Helsinki.jpg) | |
| In service | 2013–present |
| Manufacturer | Transtech Ltd |
| Built at | Transtech Ltd, Otanmäki, Kajaani |
| Constructed | 2012– |
| Entered service | 2013 |
| Number built | 20 |
| Number in service | 20 |
| Fleet numbers | HKL 401–440 |
| Capacity | 88 seats, 75–125 standing (low-floor) |
| Operator(s) | Helsinki City Transport (HKL) |
| Line(s) served | All HKL tram lines in the future |
| Specifications | |
| Car length | 27.6 m (90 ft 7 in) |
| Width | 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) |
| Height | 3.83 m (12 ft 7 in) with pantograph |
| Floor height |
0.36 m (1 ft 2 in) (doorstep) 0.52 m (1 ft 8 in) (max) |
| Maximum speed | 80 km/h (50 mph) |
| Weight | 41.6 t (40.9 long tons; 45.9 short tons) |
| Power output | 8×65 kW |
| Track gauge | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) |
Artic, also styled as ARTIC by the manufacturer, is an articulated low-floor tram model designed and manufactured by Transtech Ltd in Finland.
In December 2010 the design was included in the winning tender to deliver 40 new trams to the Helsinki City Transport (HKL), the municipal tram operator of Helsinki Regional Transport Authority (HSL), with an option for 90 units more. The winning bid was worth €113 million, which makes the unit cost of the initial agreement €2.8 million per tram.[1]
The first unit was rolled out in the summer of 2013 and taken to line operation for testing purposes in the autumn of 2013. The second unit was delivered in November 2013, and these two units will be thoroughly tested before the manufacturing of the remaining 38 units will begin in late 2015. All the units will be delivered by 2018.[2]
The technical design is based on free-turning bogies, which is rarely seen in low-floor trams until recently. The tram network in Helsinki, which has many sharp turns and switches and steep gradients, poses a challenge for many low-floor tram designs, which made the Variotram design ill-suited for the network. To remedy these problems, Helsinki City Transport itself made preliminary design for a new low-floor model, and this design work was also the foundation of the Artic tram. The design claims to move more smoothly and quietly in sharp turns and switches and wear down the tram wheels less.[3]
All the axles (eight in the first model) in Artic are powered by an independent motor of 65 kW, and the tram is tested for speeds up to 80 km/h. The tram is equipped with a regenerative braking system. In the Helsinki version the energy is used for heating, but the design is also ready to be equipped with supercapacitors.[4]
References
- ↑ Helsinki City Transport (3 December 2010). "Helsinki's new trams to be supplied by Transtech". Retrieved 14 September 2013.
- ↑ Helsinki City Transport (13 June 2013). "Inauguration of the new tram for Helsinki". Retrieved 14 September 2013.
- ↑ Transtech Oy. "Suitable for demanding conditions". Retrieved 14 September 2013.
- ↑ Transtech Oy. "Cost efficiency". Retrieved 14 September 2013.
External links
Media related to Škoda Artic at Wikimedia Commons- New trams for Helsinki, a site presenting the new model