“The driver’s seat is empty!”
Passengers have not yet quite got used to the fact that trams in double traction have started operating in regular service in Munich already – and certainly without a second driver in the guided carriage. The coupled units consist of one two- and one three-section tramcar of Siemens’ Avenio model, of which several series have already been delivered to the Bavarian capital (and more are yet to come). After an initial series of eight four-section tram cars in 2013/14, the operator Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft (Munich transport company) MVG ordered, among others, nine each of two- and three-sections units with the intention of using them as coupled pairs on the particularly busy lines 20/21 along Dachauer Straße. Together with four additional four-section units, the trams were actually delivered to Munich in 2017. As with other types, the official approval process took an unusually long time compared to other cities, and the approval was initially only valid – and this for several years – for use as single trams on certain lines.
But finally, after a long period of testing, the technical supervisory authority (TAB) granted permission for use in double traction in summer 2022. MVG began trial and training runs on the network, and on 27 September a double traction unit was used for the first time as an additional course on line 20 between Karlsplatz and Moosach Bahnhof. Since 4 October, usually one coupled unit is in normal service on service 20. At present, Munich Tam’s extremely limited stock of coaches is hardly sufficient for more such operations, but this should ease considerably in the foreseeable future with the current delivery of the 73 additional Avenios on order – this time all of them as four-car sets. The first new vehicles have been on test runs on the network since the beginning of July.
The coupled trains consist of a two- and a three-part unit – and in both options with a two- or a three-part unit as the leading unit. Double trains consisting of two two-section trains are also conceivable, but there are no plans for trains consisting of two three-section trains. Soon, double traction will be a familiar sight on Dachauer Straße, and in the future perhaps also on lines other than just the 20/21.
Up-dated informationen about Munich’s tram is available here:
https://www.tramreport.de/