The Government of Upper Austria required Schiene OÖ, the rail infrastructure manager of the Upper Austria state, to launch the procurement process for 70 tram-trains, with an initial order for 20 vehicles and an option for 50 additional tram-trains. The winner of the tender will be announced in 2021 and the first batch of the six tram-trains will enter operation in 2025 and 2026.
The remaining vehicles will be delivered between 2028 and 2030, when the option for additional vehicles may be exercised.
The new bi-directional tram-trains will be 37m long and 2.65m wide and will enter services on the 1.435mm gauge. They will be 100% barrier-free. Each vehicle will have a capacity for 200 passengers, with 80-90 seats. The new tram-trains will have special places for wheelchairs and bicycles.
Under the VDV TramTrain project, 450 vehicles are expected to be purchased, which will allow saving of up to 20%. The value of the 20 sets is estimated at EUR 90 million, as EUR 4.5 million is the expected cost for one vehicle. The expected saving in maintenance costs is around
EUR 1 per kilometer or EUR 80,000 per vehicle per year. A major advantage of joint procurement is the approval process.
“Through the joint procurement, the planned initial procurement for 20 units will probably save around EUR 25 million, which are available for other projects. When it comes to maintenance, another EUR 1.6 million is expected to be saved annually,” Steinkellner explained.
Upper Austria is part of a consortium formed by five German and Austrian public transport operators that decided to jointly purchase new trams due to the “obvious advantages” of the procurement, maintenance and operation costs. “The Upper Austria opens up new opportunities and perspectives. This exemplary, transnational procurement cooperation will take us a huge step forward,” Transport Council Member Günther Steinkellner said.
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