INNOTRANS: Škoda Group and customer SWB Bus und Bahn Bonn presented the new Škoda ForCity Smart 41T for Bonn.
This new vehicle type was presented by the representatives of both companies at InnoTrans in Berlin. The new tram has been designed to meet the exact needs of the historic city and modern transport, safety and environmental standards. In addition, the tram design has been recognised with the prestigious international Red Dot Award 2024.
“We have been in the tram manufacturing business for over 25 years and with each new project we push technology and design forward. The trams for Bonn are a great example of this and also confirm our strong position in the German market. More than 220 of our trams will soon be operating in Germany, in 10 cities across the federal states. We are already the number one supplier of narrow-gauge trams on the German market, and I believe we will continue to strengthen our position,” says Petr Novotný, CEO of Škoda Group.
“Škoda trams stand out for their adaptability to the environment, the comfort and safety they provide to passengers and also for their design. The Škoda ForCity Smart Bonn tram, recognised with the Red Dot Design Award 2024, is a beautiful example of how these qualities can come together in one vehicle. I’m delighted that they will make Škoda trams an organic part of another German city and help improve the quality of transport there. At the moment, there are already three trams in Bonn and 14 more are in various stages of assembly at our Pilsen site. We will then be able to complete the car body structures for all 28 vehicles during September,” says Jan Harder, President Region West and North at Škoda Group.
“Public transport is the backbone of Germany‘s transition to sustainable mobility. We need to offer people real alternatives to cars. Thanks to their attractive design, modern equipment, and the latest technology, the Škoda trams have the potential to inspire more people to use public transport. Since they also run on green electricity, they greatly help the city of Bonn to reach its goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2035,” said Anja Wenmakers, CEO of SWB Bus und Bahn.
The new Škoda ForCity Smart 41T for Bonn
The new Škoda ForCity Smart 41T trams for Bonn have fully motorised bogies (100% adhesion), which guarantees the high reliability of the vehicles. Lower wear and tear on the wheels and a longer service life of the infrastructure are ensured by the pivoting bogies. The tram design is timeless and adapted to the character of the city.
The design itself considers the demands on vehicle functionality and makes a significant contribution to improving the safety of drivers, pedestrians and passengers and, last but not least, simplifies the maintenance of individual trams. The designers and engineers worked directly with the drivers from Bonn on the cab design. The Škoda Group design team won the prestigious Red Dot Award for this tram.
SWB Bus und Bahn, the operator of public transport in Bonn, has ordered a total of 28 trams from Škoda Group. Each of the trams is 30 metres long, has a capacity of 180 passengers, of which 60 are seated, and each vehicle has two multifunctional compartments that can be used by parents with prams, orthopaedic wheelchair users and bicycle owners.
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