The Polish city of Łódź plans to renew its tram fleet in the short term with second-hand vehicles from Germany. The focus is on MGT6D trams from Halle/Saale and 6MGT trams from the Rhine-Neckar region, which are currently being replaced by new vehicles there. The reason for this is the delayed procurement of new vehicles, in particular the Moderus Gamma trams, whose financing has recently stalled.
In December 2024, Łódź ordered 30 additional Moderus Gamma buses from Modertrans Poznań, divided into a guaranteed basic delivery of 15 vehicles and an option for a further 15 units. However, at the beginning of 2025, it became known that a loan intended for this purpose would not be granted and that financing from the Polish KPO programme (the national reconstruction plan with EU funds) was not fully secured. The delivery of further vehicles is therefore unclear.
As the older Konstal high-floor trams of the 805Na type are to be taken out of service in the coming years, the municipal transport company MPK Łódź is looking for temporary solutions. Currently, there are still around 200 vehicles of the 805Na type in service in various modernised versions.
Since 2017, the city has been using 34 used MGT6D vehicles that were acquired from Bochum and Gelsenkirchen. Another 10 GT6M vehicles from Jena followed in 2023–2024. These low-floor vehicles have proven themselves in daily operation and are accepted by passengers and staff alike. Building on this experience, Łódź is now considering the acquisition of further used low-floor vehicles from Germany.
First and foremost, these are MGT6D units from Halle (Saale), where the vehicles are currently being taken out of service.
The MGT6D is a three-car articulated tram with approximately 65% low-floor area, built from 1996 onwards by Duewag, Siemens and ADtranz. Technically, the vehicles are largely identical to the NF6D models already in use in Bochum, which facilitates operation, maintenance and spare parts supply. There are currently up to 50 trams of this type available in Halle.
One advantage of this solution is its rapid availability: the vehicles could be acquired, adapted and put into service relatively quickly. At the same time, there are also challenges, such as necessary technical adjustments, particularly to the chassis and bogies, as these already had to be reworked on the Bochum vehicles due to cracking.
If the takeover goes ahead, the MGT6D cars could serve as an important bridge until new vehicles such as the Moderus Gamma are delivered. A phased solution – for example, the short-term procurement of 20 to 30 used MGT6D vehicles supplemented by the 15 Gamma trams already ordered – would be a realistic strategy for Łódź to stabilise its vehicle fleet.
Also interested in 6MGT from Mannheim
At the same time, MPK is also looking into the possibility of acquiring the approximately 30-year-old Duewag 6MGT from the RNV area (Mannheim/Ludwigshafen). The vehicles were built by DUEWAG/ABB in 1994/95 and are around 29 metres long with a low-floor section of around 70%. Rhein-Neckar-Verkehr (RNV) still operates just under 50 of these cars.
At the same time, MPK is being cautious: it wants to avoid mistakes made with previous imports – for example, the Variobahnen trains from Helsinki, which were tested in operation but ultimately not accepted due to a lack of spare parts.
For this reason, the MGT6D from Halle are particularly interesting, as many spare parts would be identical to those of the NF6D from Bochum.
The cost comparison highlights the appeal of the used vehicle model. While a new low-floor vehicle costs between PLN 12 and 15 million (approx. EUR 2.8 to 3.5 million), the purchase price for used vehicles ranges between PLN 130,000 and 250,000 (approx. EUR 30,000 to 60,000). Added to this is around PLN 250,000 (approx. EUR 60,000) for adaptation and modernisation – a fraction of the investment required for a new vehicle.
This strategy is not new in Łódź: since 1990, used vehicles from Germany and Austria have been acquired on a regular basis. In recent years, MPK has already integrated 18 Duewag M8CN, 35 Siemens NF6D and 10 AEG GT6M-ZR vehicles into its fleet, some of which have been extensively modernised. Many of these vehicles offer a high or complete low-floor section, thereby contributing significantly to accessibility within the network.
For MPK Łódź, the purchase of used trams remains a key component in creating greater comfort and capacity in the short term. Whether the choice falls on the 6MGT from Mannheim or the MGT6D from Halle will be decided in the coming months. One thing is clear, however: without this pragmatic interim solution, it would be virtually impossible to replace the ageing fleet of Konstal trams in the foreseeable future.
20.08.2025
