In the early morning hours of Friday, 13 December 2019, the first out of 40 new Bombardier Flexity low-floor trams arrived in Göteborg. The so-called M33 tram started its journey in Bautzen, Germany, at the plant where the series is built. The new trams will replace the oldest trams of Göteborgs Spårvägar which are the M28 and M29 built between 1965 and 1972.
Bombardier and its consortium partner Vossloh Kiepe, have been awarded the contract in October 2016. The vehicles are equipped with a Vossloh Kiepe propulsion system. The contract has a value of approximately 140 million euro ($156 million US) with Bombardier’s share amounting to approximately 97 million euro ($109 million US).
Unloading the new tram I © Göteborgs Spårvägar 
The vehicle is a bi-directional vehicle I © Göteborgs Spårvägar
Before going into service, the tram will be tested for at least 20,000 kilometres before final approval. The second tram is expected to arrive in Göteborg in spring 2020. Once the first two trams have been approved after test driving, the series delivery for the remaining 38 trams will start.
The three-section low-floor tram is a classic bogie tram with low-floor interior. The tram has a length of 33 meters and offers 75 seats and space for 155 standees (refering to the uni-directional variant). 10 out of the 40 trams will be built as bi-directional trams in order to be more flexible during traffic interruptions. The first one delivered, numbered 490, is a bi-directional vehicle.
Västtrafik and Göteborgs Spårvägar expect the delivery of all trams to be completed in 2022. In addition, the agreement gives the option to procure an additional 60 trams. This includes the possibility of ordering 45 meters long trams which would be four-section vehicles.
Göteborg’s M28/ M29 trams are still in service, here seen at Vasa Viktoriagatan I © Ralf Wittenberg 
Single unit at Gothemsgatan I © Ralf Wittenberg 
The M31 trams have been fitted with low-floor centre sections and new electrical equipment, here seen at Centralstationen I © Ralf Wittenberg 
M32 AnsaldoBreda low-floor tram at Kungsportsplatsen I © Ralf Wittenberg
Ridership of Göteborg’s tram system is consistently increasing. Between January and October 2019, ridership increased by 8 % or 8.7 million trips. The forecast for 2019 is 141 million trips.
Today, Göteborg’s tram fleet consists in:
- 60 4-axle trams M28, built between 1965 and 1967 by ASJ, Linköping
- 58 4-axle trams M29, built between 1969 and 1972 by Hägglund & Söner, Örnsköldsvik
- 80 8-axle articulated trams M31 with low-floor centre section, built between 1984 and 1992 by ASEA/ ABB, Västerås, as 6-axle M21 trams and fitted with low-floor centre sections between 1998 and 2002; the electric propulsion system has been modernised by Ekova Electric and Cegelec Praha between 2011 and 2017
- 65 low-floor trams M32, built in 2004 – 2013 by AnsaldoBreda, Italy
