Škoda Transtech, a part of the Škoda Transportation Group, has received homologation for the third ForCity Smart Artic tram. The vehicle is serving passengers in the German city of Schöneiche.Škoda Transtech, a part of the Škoda Transportation Group, has received homologation for the third ForCity Smart Artic tram. The vehicle is serving passengers in the German city of Schöneiche.
In October 2018, the Schöneiche transport company bought two ForCity Smart Artic trams that had been previously operated in Helsinki. Last year, the transport company ordered a third tram. It was manufactured at the Škoda Otanmäki plant in Finland.
“We are pleased to have obtained all the permits necessary to operate in Germany and the latest tram from the Škoda ForCity Smart Artic series is serving passengers in Germany. It is a 100% low-floor vehicle that provides a comfortable and reliable ride. Škoda Transtech developed it in close cooperation with the transport company in Helsinki,” says Zdeněk Majer, Chairman of the Board of Škoda Transtech and Senior Vice President of the Škoda Transportation Group.
The Škoda Transportation Group is thriving in the tram market in Germany. Last year, it won a tender to supply trams to the Bonn transport company. The Pilsen company will deliver a total of 26 modern vehicles from the ForCity Smart platform to the German city. In addition, in 2018 it won another contract to supply modern trams to the Rhein-Neckar-Verkehr transport company. A total of eighty trams within the basic delivery will be in operation in the coming years on lines between the cities of Mannheim, Ludwigshafen and Heidelberg. ForCity Classic trams will likewise operate in another German city, Chemnitz.
The ForCity Smart Artic single-direction, three-car unit has a gauge of 1,000 mm, is 27.4 m long and entirely low-floor. The tram offers access to wheelchair users and parents with baby carriages. The all-wheel drive and sturdy construction of the chassis and axles allow trouble-free operation under demanding climatic conditions.
Škoda Transtech is the largest manufacturer of rolling stock in Scandinavia. The company was founded in 1985. In 2015, it became a member of the Škoda Transportation Group and in 2018 was completely taken over by the Škoda Transportation Group. Its main products include double-decker electric railcars (operated as PushPull trains), trams and engineering products. It currently employs more than 700 people.
