Magdeburger Verkehrsbetriebe GmbH & Co. KG (MVB) are decommissioning the last of the Tatra T6A2 trams – marking the end of this series from regular service in Germany after more than 35 years. For several years now, these trams have only been used to a limited extend occasionally in Magdeburg. In other cities like Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig, and Rostock their regular service ended already years ago.
The rather “box-shaped” design of the vehicles with its characteristic humming noise, caused by the installed thyristor control, had their first day of service on 2 May 1990 on the then Line 7 between Neustädter See and Salbker Platz. Now the last two remaining MVB trains will be decommissioned by the end of March.
So that tram enthusiasts can bid a fitting farewell to the trams, the local enthusiasts group IGNah in cooperation with MVB is organising special trips and a vehicle parade on 28 January.
The tram train with the designation T6A2 is a high-floor railcar produced by the Czech manufacturer ČKD for the former GDR. The first 6 railcars and three sidecars (designated B6A2) arrived in Magdeburg at the end of 1989. MVB received a total of 12 railcars and 6 sidecars, which could be coupled together to form various train combinations. In the end, two motorcars (no. 1280 + 1281) and one trailer (no. 2241) were still in operational condition, meaning that there was usually one train in regular service from Monday to Friday. This service will now end in March 2024 when the deadline expires.
MVB and IGNah have agreed that one tramcar and one trailer will be handed over to the historic vehicle fleet. However, due to the tram’s thyristor control system, it has not yet been decided whether the train can be kept in running order or merely as an exhibit.
The T6A2 will not disappear completely from the city. Various converted trams, such as the driving school car or the rail grinding car, will remain in service. Tatra type B6A2 trailers (nos. 2201-2211) will continue to run in Magdeburg for a few more years; they were taken over by the BVG from Berlin more than 10 years ago and are coupled behind low-floor tramways. Some Tatra KT4D articulated trams were acquired from BVG, too (MVB no. 1286-1293). However, the delivery of the new vehicles ordered from Alstom means that the use of not “barrier-free” accesible vehicles on the Magdeburg tramway will come to an end in the not too distant future.
