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Gothenborg’s Västtrafik orders 40 new extended Flexity trams

After the successful service launch of Alstom's Flexity M33 trams in Gotheborg, M34 trams have now been ordered in an extended variant I © Instagram @tramnerdsofgothenburg

Alstom has received an order, worth €100m, to deliver 40 new trams to Västtrafik for use in Gothenburg city. The new Flexity, locally known as the M34, is an extended version of the M33 tram that Alstom is currently delivering to Gothenburg and the 40 units are an option from the initial 2016 contract enabling Västtrafik to order additional trams. The first M34 tram is expected to be in service in Gothenburg by the end of 2023 and the last tram will be delivered in 2026. Currently, Alstom is delivering a total of 40 M33 trams to Gothenborg of which 10 are bi-directional trams.

“Alstom is very proud to deliver the new carriages to Gothenburg. The modern Flexity trams’ iconic design will enhance the city’s aesthetics while more comfortable interiors will improve the travel experience for the city’s passengers. The trams will also help Gothenburg become  more sustainable by providing an attractive transport alternative to the automobile. We would like to thank Västtrafik for their continued trust”, says Rob Whyte, CEO of Alstom Nordics. 


Alstom is manufacturing the M34 together with its partner Kiepe-Electric. Kiepe-Electric will provide all the trams’ electrical parts while Alstom will supply the mechanical portion. One outcome of the close collaboration between the engineers at Kiepe-Electric and Alstom is the outstanding performance of the various braking systems – leading both operator and passengers to comment on the tram’s exceptionally comfortable ride.

Flexity M33 in operation on Östra Hamngatan I © Instagram @tramnerdsofgothenburg

The new Flexity tram will accommodate 50 percent more passengers

The new Flexity M34 model can accommodate 319 passengers, which is 50 percent more than the previous M33 model. The additional trams will meets Gothenburg’s great need for new trams as the M33 and M34 models will replace the aeging M28 and M29 models currently in use. Due to corrosion damage, all M28 trams were also taken out of service at the end of October 2021, which led to a shortage of cars. Since then, some of the remaining 57 M29 vehicles have even been used as solo cars.

History since October 2021: Due to corrosion damage, all four-axle M28 trams (series 700) had to be taken out of service at short notice. Since then, Gothenburg Tramway has had a shortage of trams I © UTM

Conceptually, the M34 series is based on the three-car M33 series. A central car, which rests on two bogies, and two cars, which are arranged between the end cars and the central bogie car, are added. Similar bogie arrangements were used by Alstom on the Flexity trams in Dresden and Leipzig.

Overview drawing of the Alstom Flexity M33 (top) with a length of 33 metres and the newly ordered variant M34 with a length of 45 metres I © Västtrafik

The state-of-the-art Flexity trams are designed to meet the city’s track and weather conditions and their cutting-edge technology will ensure that passengers will have a safe and stable journey. The Flexity’s low-floor entrance makes boarding easy and the 45-metre-long trams will feature plenty of space for both prams and passengers using wheelchairs. The design meets the highest safety standards as well as Gothenburg’s requirements for environmentally friendly public transport

By the beginning of 2022, over 10 of the new M33 trams have already been delivered to Göteborgs Spårvägar I © Instagram @tramnerdsofgothenburg

Innovative trams

The Flexity tram’s award-winning design is matched by innovative technology and environmental excellence. Flexity trams were the first in the industry to combine 100 percent low-floor technology with conventional wheel-set bogies and can be equipped with the world’s first homologated obstacle detection assistance system (ODAS) for increased active safety. The modular concept paired with proven and reliable building blocks makes Flexity trams a perfect fit  for a variety of customer needs, from tropical to winter climates as well as for smaller or higher capacities. With a track record of over 30 years, more than 5,000 Flexity trams have been ordered or are already in successful revenue service in 70 cities around the globe.

22.02.2022
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