Škoda 15T
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Škoda 15T (also known as Škoda ForCity Alfa) is a 100% low-floor multiple-unit
tram A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which Rolling stock, vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some ...
developed by VUKV a.s. and built by
Škoda Transportation Škoda Transportation Akciová společnost, a.s. is a Czech Republic, Czech manufacturer of vehicles for public transport, including Tram, trams, Electric multiple unit, electric multiple units, and Bus, buses. The company was formerly a divisio ...
in
Plzeň Plzeň (), also known in English and German as Pilsen (), is a city in the Czech Republic. It is the Statutory city (Czech Republic), fourth most populous city in the Czech Republic with about 188,000 inhabitants. It is located about west of P ...
for the Prague tram network. It was a successor to the
Škoda 14T The Škoda 14T (also called Porsche and Elektra) is a five carbody section uni-directional low-floor tram, developed by Škoda Transportation for the Prague tram system. The 14T is the first low-floor tram purchased by the . The vehicle's body ...
, featuring articulated bogies and more power to correct for problems found during the operation of the 14 T. The 15T has articulated bogies at either end of the train, and
Jacobs bogie Jacobs bogies (named after Wilhelm Jakobs, 1858–1942, a German Mechanical engineering, mechanical Railway engineering, railway engineer) are a type of Rail transport, rail vehicle bogie commonly found on Articulated car, articulated railcars an ...
s between the segments. The tram has two double-doors in each segment (or four in bi-directional version) to allow fast boarding of passengers, and one extra side door leading to the driver's cabin.


Design

The Škoda 15T ForCity was developed as highly modular; it is offered with up to five car body sections and in length. It may be used on gauges from up to and the body may be wide. The tram can be uni-directional or bi-directional. It can have from 60% of wheels driven up to all of the wheels driven for networks in hilly cities. As the bogies are under articulations and don't interfere with the inner space of the body sections, there is unlimited choice of interior lay-out and location of doors. The basic vehicle length can be modified. It is also possible to couple two or more vehicles. The tram's appearance and front design are user-defined. Newer model trams may be up to long and carry 539 passengers at a comfortable .


Bogies

The fixed
bogies A bogie ( ) (or truck in North American English) comprises two or more wheelsets (two wheels on an axle), in a frame, attached under a vehicle by a pivot. Bogies take various forms in various modes of transport. A bogie may remain normally ...
which are used by most 100% low floor trams for this time increase track wear and decrease the speed at which a tram can drive through a curve (usually on a radius curve). The 15T is designed to cope with these drawbacks by using
Jacobs bogie Jacobs bogies (named after Wilhelm Jakobs, 1858–1942, a German Mechanical engineering, mechanical Railway engineering, railway engineer) are a type of Rail transport, rail vehicle bogie commonly found on Articulated car, articulated railcars an ...
s under the articulations, and pivoting bogies at the ends of the tram. For a time the 15T was said to be the only 100% low floor tram in production with full-pivoting bogies . However, the
Alstom Citadis The Alstom Citadis is a family of low-floor trams and light rail vehicles built by Alstom. , over 2,300 Citadis trams have been sold and 1,800 tramways are in revenue service throughout the world, with operations in all six inhabited continents ...
X04, an experimental 100% low floor tram currently being developed with pivoting bogies (but with sections of high floor seating over the bogies), has made an initial production appearance in
Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
as a modified Citadis 301 (with a fixed centre bogie), and , a tram with a similar interior arrangement, and all pivoting bogies, is undergoing trials for
Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...
. With the same length of tramcar, the Škoda 15T also has four bogies, compared to three (fixed) bogies (the same as on most 100% low floor trams) on it its predecessor, the
Škoda 14 T Škoda means "pity" in the Czech and Slovak languages. It may also refer to: Czech brands and enterprises * Škoda Auto, automobile and previously bicycle manufacturer in Mladá Boleslav ** Škoda Motorsport, the division of Škoda Auto responsi ...
's, which decreases the load each wheel puts on the track. Most of the tram floor is above the rails, but the height over the bogies is above the rails. The transition is inclined, without interior steps. The corridor above the central bogies is wide. The bogies can all be driven, or some may be idle, depending on the customer's preferences. The bogies have two axles and two-level springing. The mounted wheels are rubber-sprung, with integrated brake-discs and axle bearings. On the axle bearings there is a combined, dynamically resistant, primary rubber-bonded-metal-sprung bogie framework. This framework supports four traction motors and one (in outer bogies) or two (in inner bogies) sprung swing bolsters. The secondary springing of the swing bolsters is secured by steel coil springs with parallel hydraulic rotating dampers. The swing bolsters have pivot bearings, which facilitate full rotation of the bogie below the body without any limitations.


Wheels and motors

All bogies are equipped with identical wheels, which have tyres damping rubber pads to minimize noise. Selected bogies could be equipped with a sanding system. The vehicle is driven by traction units. Each unit consists of traction container on the vehicle roof and of four traction motors, which drive wheels of one driving bogie. Individual wheel drive on respective bogies secures perfect use of adhesive conditions and ideal ride both in bends and on straight lines. There are 3-phase synchronous motors with permanent magnet excitation on rotor. They are fixed to the bogie framework from the wheels outside. The traction motors don't use a gear box - they drive tram wheels directly through a mechanically disconnectable jaw clutch. While the drive is controlled by two control units connected together by fast serial communication, the safety circuits and functions are hardware-resolved.


Brakes

Braking is mainly done by electrodynamic brake enabling recuperation of the braking energy back to the electrical grid. If there is no need of it, the braking energy is being used primarily for feeding the vehicle's auxiliary equipment with the rest depleted in the brake resistors. The electrodynamic brake is able to automatically run even during grid's voltage failure. In case of failure, braking is automatically done by the system of friction disc brake, which will work until the vehicle comes to a complete halt. The friction disc brake is hydraulically controlled with an electric compression unit. Each bogie is also equipped with a pair of electromagnetic rail brakes with voltage of 24 V DC. The friction disc brake also ensures the parking brake function.


Doors

The vehicle has two double doors on each body unit (or four of them on bi-directional version), or alternatively there can be one door each side on each body unit located in place of any of the side panels. The driver has a separate door leading to the driver's cabin. The doors slide outwards. Each door is equipped with an individual control unit, which operates it and communicates with the vehicle central control unit. In selected double-doors area there could be either ramp or lift enabling easy entry for passengers with restricted mobility. There could be also a room for bicycles and prams.


Production


Prague

Škoda ForCity won the bidding process of the Prague transport company for 250 new trams in 2005. The order is worth 17 billion
CZK The koruna, or crown (currency sign, sign: Kč; ISO 4217, code: CZK, ), has been the currency of the Czech Republic since 1993. The koruna is one of the European Union's eight currencies, and the Czech Republic is legally bound to Czech Repub ...
(about 68 million
CZK The koruna, or crown (currency sign, sign: Kč; ISO 4217, code: CZK, ), has been the currency of the Czech Republic since 1993. The koruna is one of the European Union's eight currencies, and the Czech Republic is legally bound to Czech Repub ...
per unit (2,3 million
The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists of a stylized letter E (or epsilon), crossed by t ...
per unit - 1
The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists of a stylized letter E (or epsilon), crossed by t ...
2005=29,6
CZK The koruna, or crown (currency sign, sign: Kč; ISO 4217, code: CZK, ), has been the currency of the Czech Republic since 1993. The koruna is one of the European Union's eight currencies, and the Czech Republic is legally bound to Czech Repub ...
)). The trials of the first prototype started in 2009, the first rides with passengers started in October 2010 and the last tramcar will be delivered in 2017. The prototype had 3 types of seats - wooden, plastic and with fabric upholstery. Passengers have decided in an internet poll that the wooden seats will be used in the delivered version. During the delivery of the first batch in 2011, the Prague transport company started negotiations with Škoda regarding the installation of air conditioning in the passenger compartment. It also raised the concern that a 1,000-horsepower streetcar may be unnecessarily powerful and proposed a solution used in the Riga version, which has only three out of four bogies driven. In the view of the transport company the price of additional air conditioning should be covered by eliminating the first bogie's motors. As of May, 2011, it was not yet decided whether this solution will be applied. Firstly there is issue that participants in the original tender may contest the change and require a new competition; secondly it has to be tested whether the 15T without full adhesion would be able to drive on Prague's hilly network. In May 2014, due to financial problems for the City of Prague, the Prague transport company and Škoda Transportation renegotiated the contract to provide for four extra years for delivery of the order and for fitting of full air-conditioning and WiFi in the last 125 trams of the order. By June, 2014, the first 100 trams of the order had been delivered and the first of the modified trams (from the second half of the order) will be delivered in 2015.


Riga

In May 2008 Škoda made a contract with the Riga transport company (
Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...
) for delivery of 20 trams (with option for another 32) worth 1.3 billion
CZK The koruna, or crown (currency sign, sign: Kč; ISO 4217, code: CZK, ), has been the currency of the Czech Republic since 1993. The koruna is one of the European Union's eight currencies, and the Czech Republic is legally bound to Czech Repub ...
(about 65 million
CZK The koruna, or crown (currency sign, sign: Kč; ISO 4217, code: CZK, ), has been the currency of the Czech Republic since 1993. The koruna is one of the European Union's eight currencies, and the Czech Republic is legally bound to Czech Repub ...
per unit (2.6 million
The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists of a stylized letter E (or epsilon), crossed by t ...
per unit – 1
The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists of a stylized letter E (or epsilon), crossed by t ...
2008 = 25
CZK The koruna, or crown (currency sign, sign: Kč; ISO 4217, code: CZK, ), has been the currency of the Czech Republic since 1993. The koruna is one of the European Union's eight currencies, and the Czech Republic is legally bound to Czech Repub ...
)). The bidding process started in 2007 and altogether 9 companies took part in it. The Riga variant is three-segmented, like the Prague version, with air-conditioning for whole tram (Prague only for driver's cabin) and it is in white-blue livery. Unlike Prague's version, which has all bogies driven due to difficult adhesive conditions (Prague has hilly terrain), the Riga tram has 3 bogies driven (the 1st bogie doesn't have motors). The tram has upholstered seats similar to those in Škoda trolleybuses used in Riga. The first tram was delivered to Riga in March, 2010, the second in August 2010 and the other 18 were delivered before the end of 2011. The first rides with passengers were in June, 2010 after preceding test-drives. There are also 6 four-segmented tramcars ( long) made for
Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...
,
Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...
, as the town decided to apply a part of the pre-agreed option of 32 (which was part of the previous order for 20). These were delivered between June and October 2012. In April 2016 Riga Transport (RS) awarded Škoda Transportation a €62.6m contract to supply 20 more, 15T ForCity low-floor trams. The order comprises 15 three-section vehicles and five four-section LRVs. All 20 vehicles are due to be delivered next year. The -gauge 600 V DC vehicles will be used on Line 1, which links Riga neighborhood Jugla with Imanta, in fact this line is combined 4th and 6th lines.


Other tenders

Several unsuccessful tenders have been made by Škoda for the ''ForCity'' tram in other cities. * At the end of September, 2010, Škoda entered into a bidding process by the city of
Rostock Rostock (; Polabian language, Polabian: ''Roztoc''), officially the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock (), is the largest city in the German States of Germany, state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and lies in the Mecklenburgian part of the sta ...
in
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
for new trams for the local network. Škoda did not win this tender, which was instead awarded to
Vossloh Vossloh AG is a rail technology company based in Werdohl in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The SDAX-listed group achieved sales of around €930 million in 2016 and, , had more than 4,000 employees. Vossloh can trace its origins ...
. * The 15T was also submitted in a proposal for the
Helsinki tram Trams in Helsinki form part of the Public transport in Helsinki, public transport system organised by Helsinki Regional Transport Authority and operated by Metropolitan Area Transport Ltd (, ) in Finland's capital city of Helsinki. The trams are ...
network serving
Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...
,
Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
, but lost the tender to the Artic tram produced by Transtech Oy (Škoda purchased Transtech in 2015 and the product has since been rebranded as ''ForCity Smart''). * Škoda also entered a tender for the tram network in
Zürich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...
,
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
, but later withdrew their bid. * In April, 2011, Škoda announced it would start a lawsuit against the transport authority of
Essen Essen () is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne, Düsseldorf and Dortmund, as well as ...
in Germany, which announced a selection procedure for delivery of new trams for its urban network. Škoda believed the procedure's technical requirements to be so specific that they effectively reduced competition (contrary to European law), leaving Škoda not able to offer its bid, which was ultimately won by Bombardier. A Škoda 15T from Prague underwent testing and certification on the tram network in the German city of
Chemnitz Chemnitz (; from 1953 to 1990: Karl-Marx-Stadt (); ; ) is the third-largest city in the Germany, German States of Germany, state of Saxony after Leipzig and Dresden, and the fourth-largest city in the area of former East Germany after (East Be ...
in 2012. Subsequently, an order was placed for '' ForCity Classic'' trams in 2016.


China

In 2013 Škoda has signed an agreement with Chinese
CSR Sifang CRRC Qingdao Sifang Co., Ltd. () is a Chinese rolling stock manufacturer based in Qingdao, Shandong province. Founded in 1900 during the German occupation, Qingdao Sifang is one of the oldest rolling stock manufacturers in China. History Qing ...
to produce Škoda 15Ts for the Chinese market under licence. The 10-year agreement could cover up to 400 trams. The first unidirectional prototype was produced in 2014. In 2015 CSR Sifang unveiled new bi-directional tram based on 15T designated as 27T. This vehicle is wide and is bidirectional. Apart from the traditional
overhead line An overhead line or overhead wire is an electrical cable that is used to transmit electrical energy to electric locomotives, Electric multiple unit, electric multiple units, trolleybuses or trams. The generic term used by the International Union ...
vehicle can be powered by
battery Battery or batterie most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source * Battery indicator, a device whic ...
,
Supercapacitor alt=Supercapacitor, upright=1.5, Schematic illustration of a supercapacitor upright=1.5, A diagram that shows a hierarchical classification of supercapacitors and capacitors of related types A supercapacitor (SC), also called an ultracapacitor, ...
or hydrogen-fuelled. In March 2016 first line of Qingdao Tram was inaugurated, served by fleet of seven CSR Sifang produced 27T trams. The trams are long and using
hydrogen fuel cells A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that converts the chemical energy of a fuel (often hydrogen) and an oxidizing agent (often oxygen) into electricity through a pair of redox reactions. Fuel cells are different from most batteries in requ ...
to allow service at the parts of the route without overhead electrification. Subsequently, another system operated by these trams has been opened in Fushan. In May 2019 the first tram of Delingha Tram was unveiled. The trams are two sections long and use supercapacitor and lithium-titanate battery energy storage to allow service at the parts of the route without overhead electrification.


Gallery

Škoda 15T, smyčka Radlická.jpg, 15T in Prague Riga, Škoda 15T.jpg, 15T in Riga Škoda 15T, interiér (01).jpg, Interior Škoda 15T, interiér.jpg, The corridor within the articulation. The wooden seats were chosen by passengers in an internet poll Vozovna Střešovice, DOD 2009, Škoda 15T M1.jpg, Open Doors Day in Střešovice tram depot and transport museum


References


External links


Information brochure
{{DEFAULTSORT:Skoda 15T Tram vehicles of the Czech Republic Tram vehicles of Latvia Škoda trams