Woltersdorf’s new tram

The small German tramway in Woltersdorf near Berlin is in the need to replace its current fleet: The two-axle Gotha tramcars, now approximately 60 years old, no longer met the legal requirements for barrier-free access. The offer of manufacturers for small-size tramcars adapted to the requirements on the 5.6 km long standard-gauge line is quite limited. However, now a solution is in sight:

The Polish manufacturer Modertrans will deliver three four-axle, low-floor bi-directional trams of its Gamma LF 10 AC BD model. A contract has just been signed between the manufacturer and the operator Schöneicher-Rüdersdorfer Straßenbahn GmbH. Subsidies from the state of Brandenburg and the responsible Oder-Spree district will make the procurement possible. There is an option for a fourth tram.

Technical data:

• Streetcar Moderus Gamma LF 10 AC BD, three cars numbered 41 – 43;
• Single-car bi-directional low-floor railcars, four axles
• Manufacturer: Modertrans Poznań Sp. z o.o.
• Track gauge: 1435 mm
• Length / width: 14,91 m / 2,40 m
• Unloaded weight: 20,5 t
• Maximum speed: 70 km/h
• Voltage: 600 V direct current
• Passenger capacity: 22 seats / 54 standing places
• Three doors on each side of the vehicle, multi-purpose compartment with wheelchair space as well as space for baby carriages and bicycles in the area of the middle door, air conditioning, passenger information panels

The new cars are scheduled to arrive in Woltersdorf in autumn 2023 and will start regular service after acceptance testing and instruction by the staff. The Gotha trams will be retained for special operations and additional trips.

Technically, the vehicles are based on the Moderus Gamma series. Modertrans has already delivered three-section vehicles to the tramways in Poznań (30 LF 02 AC uni-directional vehicles and 20 LF 03 AC BD bi-directional vehicles) and Wrocław (46 LF 07 AC uni-directional vehicles). 30 five-car Moderus Gamma LF 06 AC for Łódź are currently under construction. However, the tram manufacturer based near Poznań has also been able to achieve sales successes with four-axle trams at various Polish tramway operators: In 2020, Modertrans delivered a total of 15 single-section low-floor trams with a length of 15 metres to Tramwaje Śląskie (13 MF 10 AC and two MF 11 AC BD bi-directional trams) and to Tramwaje Elbląskie (5 MF 09 AC). However, these were only partial low-floor vehicles with a low-floor proportion of 50 %. In contrast to the Beta series, the vehicles for Woltersdorf will be 100 % low-floor. Only the seats are located on pedestrals. Modertrans has developed a first prototype with new bogies which has been tested in Poznań since mid-2021. We reported here:

Picture gallery (please click to open):

The Woltersdorf tramway system is among the smallest in the world currently existing. It is integrated into the Berlin-Brandenburg transport network (VBB) as line 87 S-Bahnhof Rahnsdorf – Woltersdorfer Schleuse and is managed and operated by the neighbouring, albeit metre-gauge, suburban tramway operating between Friedrichshagen and Schöneiche-Rüdersdorf.