The European Investment Bank would provide a EUR 70 million loan to the city of Chemnitz for the procurement of a tram-train fleet of 19 units and the construction of a depot for up to 60 trains. Currently, the EUR 148 million project is under bank’s appraisal.
At the end of 2020, the Mid Saxony Transport Authority (VMS) has launched a tender for the acquisition of up to 46 tram-trains with an initial order for 19 vehicles which will operate around Chemnitz and its surrounding areas. The first two prototypes are expected to be delivered by the end of 2027 and the remaining tram-train batch are scheduled to be supplied by the end of 2025.
An option for more than 27 tram-trains must be exercised by 2035, with a base order for 17 vehicles. The remaining 10 units must be compatible with the vehicles from the base order.
The winner of the tender will be responsible for the design, manufacture, deliver and authorisation of the vehicles and it will also ensure the corrective and preventive maintenance for a period of 16 years with a possibility for an 8–year extension. These activities will be performed at the facilities owned by the VMS.
The dual-voltage tram-trains will be 37.5 metre-long providing more than 80 seats and multi-purpose areas for passenger with reduced mobility, wheelchairs, prams and bicycles.
The new trains will be put into operation on the Chemnitzer Modell network which will be expanded by 17 km, with an initial extension of 2.3 km for which a consultancy tender has been launched. The construction would start in 2025 and is expected to enter passenger operation in 2027.
The entire extension will provide the connection between the city centre and Limbach-Oberfrohna district, situated in the northwest. In April 2021, the city has started the preliminary planning for the first approval on the construction of the Chemnitz-City – Limbach-Oberfrohna rail connection.
The first planning approval section includes Falkeplatz, Theaterstrasse and Brückenstrasse, closing the centre rail ring. Part of the first plan approval section also includes the Hartmannstrasse branch from the Gleisdreieck to the Ermafa-Passage.
The project is estimated at EUR 120 million and the five section which will form the extension is expected to be constructed starting 2025.
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