Knorr-Bremse subsidiary, Kiepe Electric, has won the tender to modernise 30 low-floor trams for Schwerin, the capital of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in northern Germany. Under the contract, the delivery of the modernised trams will be completed by 2023.
Following the modernisation and retrofit of their electrical equipment, the 15-year-old fleet are heading for another 20 years’ service.
They will undergo a retrofit of its electrical equipment and HVAC systems, ensuring ensure greater comfort on board.
“We want to keep our tried-and-tested trams in scheduled service for at least another 20 years. In the context of the mandatory general inspection, that means undertaking technical modifications and refits. And in Kiepe Electric we are delighted to have found a competent partner for the modernization of the electrical equipment,” said Wilfried Eisenberg, the CEO of Nahverkehr Schwerin GmbH (NVS), Schwerin’s mass transit operator.
The retrofit measures will be focused on ensuring maximum vehicle availability. Kiepe Electric will be responsible for replacing some of the vehicle and train control technology, as well as the traction inverter and the on-board power converter, bringing them into line with the state of the engineering art. Another key consideration is enhancing passenger comfort: To ensure pleasant on-board temperatures, Kiepe Electric will replace the existing heating and ventilation equipment with the latest passenger-compartment HVAC systems.
Kiepe Electric supplied the original electrical equipment for the 30 trams that entered service with NVS between 2001 and 2003. The vehicles were built by DWA Bautzen.
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