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Stadler supplies 56 TINA trams to Halle/Saale

Stadler's TINA tram is being built for Halle/ Saale in two lengths: the three-section 30-metre variant and the five-section 45-metre variant I © Stadler

The decision in the tender for the new generation of trams for Halle (Saale) has been made: On Tuesday, 23 August 2022, Hallesche Verkehrs-AG (HAVAG), a subsidiary of the Stadtwerke Halle Group, signed a contract with the Swiss rail vehicle manufacturer Stadler AG for the delivery of 56 TINA tramcars. TINA stands for “Total Integrated Low-Floor Drive”. According to the contract, the first vehicles are to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2024, with scheduled revenue service starting at the end of 2025. The new trams of this new tram type will further improve the quality of local public transport for passengers and further promote climate neutrality and the mobility transition in Halle (Saale). The state of Saxony-Anhalt and the city of Halle (Saale) are financing the overall investment with a grant share of 60 percent, while HAVAG and Stadtwerke Halle are contributing 40 percent.

It is not the first sales success for Stadler’s TINA tram. There are already orders from Darmstadt (14 vehicles with an option for 30 more), Baselland Transport (25 vehicles) as well as Rostock (28 vehicles). We reported here:

The new vehicles in Halle/ Saale are gradually replacing a large part of the MGT6D trams in operation, which date from 1996 to 2001 and are being retired after almost 30 years of continuous service. In the run-up, the procurement of new trams was prepared within the framework of a Europe-wide tender and completed in accordance with the legal regulations.

Exterior view of the TINA tram for Halle/ Saale. Note the lowered windows I © Stadler

The order volume vis-à-vis the vehicle manufacturer is 168 million euros. The state of Saxony-Anhalt is supporting the purchase of the new trams with a grant of approx. 45 percent and the city of Halle (Saale) with approx. 15 percent. HAVAG/Stadtwerke Halle’s own share is 40 percent.

“We want the citizens, the people of Halle and their guests to be able to freely choose the type of mobility they want. The decision to use public transport is made more and more often when the general conditions are right and the service is attractive and comfortable. And that is exactly what the new trams will guarantee here in Halle. That is why the state of Saxony-Anhalt has generously supported this important step towards a mobility turnaround in the city on the Saale,” explained Saxony-Anhalt’s Secretary of State for Transport, Sven Haller, at the signing of the contract.

“Today is a great day for the passengers of Hallesche Verkehrs-AG – after a tendering, decision-making and award process lasting several years, we have signed a contract for the production and delivery of 56 state-of-the-art trams and are delighted to be able to offer our passengers even more service, comfort, space and safety from 2025. Our new trams will feature an air-conditioned passenger compartment that does not heat up in the hot season, quieter ride comfort, larger door widths, no steps throughout the vehicle, wider aisles, improved stopping facilities, modern information systems and innovative driver assistance systems, including for collision avoidance,” says HAVAG board member Vinzenz Schwarz with great pleasure. The new vehicles are thus 100 per cent low-floor accessible, instead of 70 per cent as before, and offer a high degree of accessibility.

No steps despite bogies – the interior I © Stadler/ HAVAG

“Today’s signing of the contract is a strong signal for climate-friendly mobility in Halle (Saale) and an investment in the future. The city of Halle (Saale) and HAVAG are once again pioneers: we think mobility, sustainability and climate protection together.  This investment shows the people of Halle very directly what modern and at the same time environmentally friendly transport options are offered by public transport in our city on the Saale,” says Halle’s mayor Egbert Geier. 

“We are delighted that with TINA, the latest generation of trams from Stadler will be used in Halle (Saale),” says Ansgar Brockmeyer, Executive Vice President Marketing & Sales at Stadler Group. “This contract is now the fourth order and underpins the success of the innovative TINA vehicle concept. The new vehicles will reach a new dimension in terms of passenger comfort and user-friendliness. In terms of safety, too, a new type of collision protection system will further enhance the safety of tram operations.” 

Technical data

During the development of the new vehicle generation, special attention was paid to passenger comfort. Two-directional vehicles with two different lengths will be ordered, which can be used according to requirements. 39 vehicles of the future type MGT-M will have space for 166 passengers, 64 of them on seats, on a vehicle length of about 30 metres. The 45-metre-long MGT-XL will be built 17 times and will have room for 267 passengers, 128 of whom will be seated. The barrier-free vehicles, which are fully accessible without steps, have a spacious interior with multi-purpose areas for the comfortable transport of prams, walkers and wheelchairs. Maximum headroom and panoramic windows provide an open feeling of space and an unobstructed view. Modern monitors provide easy-to-read passenger information. All new vehicles are equipped with modern, cashless ticket vending machines, a video surveillance system and the BIOS system (a new technology developed in Halle for improved information and orientation for blind and visually impaired passengers in local transport).

HAVAG purchased a total of 60 MGT6Ds from DUEWAG/ DWA between 1996 and 2001, which are expected to be gradually phased out from 2025 onwards – here two vehicles at the historic Marktplatz I © UTM

Specially designed bogies ensure smooth running and protect the wheel and rail. Various driver assistance systems represent a significant innovation: For example, a new collision protection system for HAVAG, which will further increase road safety – especially in tram operation.

The driver’s workplace has also been further developed. It will be built according to the latest ergonomic findings, the driver’s cab will be larger than the previous one, has space for a trainee driver and has a separate entrance door. The classic exterior mirrors will be replaced by a camera/monitor system, which, in addition to the mirror function, will support drivers in observing passenger changes much more than before.

During the development of the requirements for the new vehicles, the HAVAG Passenger Advisory Council was also involved from the very beginning and thankfully provided HAVAG with excellent advice on the derivation of decisive vehicle features.

The new trams are to be used on the entire HAVAG route network. HAVAG currently has a total of 102 trams in operation on 14 lines in the Saale city of Halle.

Sources: HAVAG/ Stadler

24.08.2022
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