Tram no. 325, the last Urbos low-floor tram ordered from the Spanish manufacturer CAF, is now on the network and completes the VAG fleet. This is a milestone for barrier-free accessibility in the trams – in future, all public transport vehicles will be low-floor barrier-free accessible.
On 16 July 2015, the first vehicle in the Urbos fleet started service on the VAG network as tram 301. Initially, the purchase agreement concluded in 2013 provided for 6 vehicles plus a further 6 as an option. This option was soon converted into a firm order, followed by a second order for 13 more trams in 2020. Almost ten years after the first delivery, the last Urbos tram will now also enter service, initially in driving school operation on 21 November 2024. With 25 trains, the Urbos 100 type from the Spanish manufacturer ‘Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles, S.A.’ (CAF) now account for around a third of all light tram vehicles in Freiburg.
For CAF, the co-operation with VAG Freiburg marked its entry into the German tramway market. The contract was awarded to CAF following Europe-wide tenders. The total volume of the order is around 90 million euros and includes spare parts and a service package in addition to the vehicles. The second order of 13 vehicles was subsidised by the state with 12.89 million euros via the Municipal Financing Act; previously there was no federal funding.
Due to network expansions and the ongoing need to modernise the vehicle fleet, the procurement of new light tram vehicles is an ongoing task. VAG board member Oliver Benz also sees this as an opportunity: ‘Our vehicle fleet is constantly being modernised and thus always remains technically up to date. By using longer vehicles, we create more space for growing passenger numbers and at the same time can better meet accessibility requirements.’
VAG’s two oldest vehicles, the high-floor Düwag articulated tramcars 212 and 214 of the GT8K type from 1981 and 1982, will be decommissioned, probably at the beginning of 2025, by which time every tram on Freiburg’s tracks will have at least one low-floor entrance. The Düwag GT8N with low-floor centre section built new in 1990/91 remain in service.
In the coming years, Freiburg’s tram network is to be further expanded, for example by extending Line 1 to Littenweiler, connecting the new Dietenbach district and closing the gap with the Friedrichring light tram line. Passenger numbers are also expected to rise, meaning that VAG is focussing on further fleet renewal and is already preparing a new invitation to tender. In the period from 2029 to 2040, around 50 new and replacement vehicles are to be added to the fleet.
