The Siemens Avenio is a
low floor
Accessibility is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so as to be usable by people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design and practice of accessible development ensures both "direct access" (i. ...
tram
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
family produced by
Siemens Mobility
Siemens Mobility GmbH is a separately-managed company of Siemens, arising from a corporate restructuring effective 1 August 2018. With its global headquarters in Munich, Siemens Mobility has four core business units: Mobility Management, dedi ...
, a subsidiary of the German conglomerate
Siemens
Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational conglomerate corporation and the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe headquartered in Munich with branch offices abroad.
The principal divisions of the corporation are ''Industry'', '' ...
. It is the successor to the
Combino
The Siemens Combino is a low-floor tram produced by Siemens Mobility (formerly Duewag). The first prototype was produced in 1996 at the Duewag works in Düsseldorf; the trams are now made in Krefeld- Uerdingen.
Due to its modular design using ...
family. The first generation was sold as the Combino Supra , Combino MkII, or Combino Plus. With the introduction of the second generation in 2009 the Combino brand was dropped and Siemens have referred to Combino Plus trams in Almada (Portugal) and Budapest (Hungary) as part of the Avenio range.
The Avenio is made of stainless steel instead of light materials, and is manufactured at a new assembly line in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
. Like the Combino it utilizes a
modular design with standardised components, with resulting reduced costs.
Differences between the Combino and the Combino Supra
Unlike the Combino, the Combino Supra is designed in fixed sections. Each section has a
bogie
A bogie ( ) (in some senses called a truck in North American English) is a chassis or framework that carries a wheelset, attached to a vehicle—a modular subassembly of wheels and axles. Bogies take various forms in various modes of transp ...
, either powered or unpowered. The length can be anywhere from two sections () to eight (). In Budapest and Almad, modules are in two-car blocks, each connected by a double articulation joint. In the Combino and other
articulated
An articulated vehicle is a vehicle which has a permanent or semi-permanent pivot joint in its construction, allowing it to turn more sharply. There are many kinds, from heavy equipment to buses, trams and trains. Steam locomotives were sometim ...
low-floor trams, the modules are suspended between the bogies. Siemens claims the
axle load
An axle or axletree is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to the vehicle, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearing ...
is for a width of , such as the Almada.
For Budapest, the length went from nine modules of the Combino to six for the Combino Supra.
The Combino had a half-width door near the driver's cab, where the Combino Supra has a full double-leaf door.
Combino Plus
Budapest
The
city transport company of Budapest ordered 40 Combino Supra Budapest NF 12B units for
the city's tram network. The six-module trams (three units of two sections) are 53.99 meters long, exceeded only by the 59.4 m
CarGoTram
The CarGoTram was a freight tram in Dresden, Germany. It supplied Volkswagen's "Transparent Factory" with parts for car assembly.
History
The idea of building a "transparent factory" for Volkswagen automobile production in Dresden arose in 19 ...
s in Dresden, thus making them the longest passenger trams in the world at the time of their introduction. (In 2016 56 meters long
CAF Urbos 3 trams entered service in Budapest.) The first two units were delivered on March 14, 2006, and the rest was delivered by the summer of 2007.
In the summer of 2006 problems arose. On August 1, 2006
Budapest mayor Gábor Demszky
Gábor Demszky (born 4 August 1952) is a Hungarian politician, lawyer and sociologist by qualification. Demszky was the Mayor of Budapest from 1990 to 2010. He was a founding member of the Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ) between 1988 and 20 ...
ordered all six trams to be withdrawn from service until technical problems were cleared up. There were problems with the doors, caused by sensitive fail-safe systems that brought trams to a halt for reasons including luggage or the odd leg getting stuck in a door. Siemens AG reportedly admitted the door problem to be a "design fault".
Another problem was the overhead wires, rebuilt in April and June for the new trams. This was done in a hurry and of poor quality, causing the Ganz trams still running to have problems with their
pantographs. On July 15 one traction mast fell to the road on the
Margaret Bridge
Margaret Bridge or Margit híd (sometimes ''Margit Bridge'') is a three-way bridge in Budapest, Hungary, connecting Buda and Pest across the Danube and linking Margaret Island to the banks. It is the second-northernmost and second-oldest publi ...
, causing tram services to be suspended between
Jászai Mari tér and
Moszkva tér till July 25. In the last week of August the overhead was adjusted to prevent new problems from occurring.
The teething problems were eventually sorted out, and all 40 trams were in regular service by the summer of 2007. But Siemens realises further improvements in the ventilation (the vehicles were ordered without air conditioning), and door closing signals will be changed, after inhabitants of the streets passed complained that they are too loud by night.
Almada
Metro Transportes Sul de Tejo (MST) ordered 24 four-module Combino Plus vehicles for a new light rail system in
Almada
Almada () is a city and a municipality in Portugal, located on the southern margin of the Tagus River, on the opposite side of the river from Lisbon. The two cities are connected by the 25 de Abril Bridge. The population in 2011 was 174,030, in a ...
, south of
Lisbon
Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
. The first unit was delivered by the end of May 2005, but after the problems with the Combino surfaced the order was converted to stainless steel-bodied Combinos, to be delivered by 2007.
Melbourne
Siemens leased Almada tram C008 to
Melbourne's tram network for research and development purposes. It entered service on
Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
shuttles on
route 96 shuttles on 18 March 2007, before commencing a three-month stint on
route 16 the following day, running alongside the
classic Combino and other tram models.
Toronto
The Combino Plus was offered by Siemens in August 2007 in its bid to deliver 204 articulated, low-floor vehicles for the
Toronto streetcar system
The Toronto streetcar system is a network of nine streetcar routes in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). It is the busiest light-rail system in North America. The network is concentrated primarily in D ...
as replacements for aging
CLRV
The Canadian Light Rail Vehicle (CLRV) and Articulated Light Rail Vehicle (ALRV) were types of streetcars used by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) from the late 1970s until the late 2010s. They were built following the TTC's decision to r ...
s and
ALRV
The Canadian Light Rail Vehicle (CLRV) and Articulated Light Rail Vehicle (ALRV) were types of streetcars used by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) from the late 1970s until the late 2010s. They were built following the TTC's decision to r ...
s. These three-module units were supposed to be 28 metres in length, have a width of 2.5 metres, and carry 183 passengers. Siemens withdrew their first bid, citing an inability to meet the
TTC's 25-percent
Canadian content
Canadian content (abbreviated CanCon, cancon or can-con; ) refers to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) requirements, derived from the Broadcasting Act of Canada, that radio and television broadcasters (inclu ...
requirement.
When tenders were reopened in August 2008, Siemens bid again using the same model, but their price was 50 percent higher than that of
Bombardier's locally built
Flexity Outlook model, who subsequently won the bid.
Siemens Avenio
The Avenio brand was introduced at the
UITP
The International Association of Public Transport (UITP, from the french: L’Union internationale des transports publics) is a non-profit advocacy organization for public transport authorities and operators, policy decision-makers, scientific in ...
2009 trade fair in Vienna, marketed as the "longest tram in the world" with 100% low floor (referring to the 72 meter version with eight modules).
Avenio is based on the Siemens Combino Plus but is simplified. There is now one secondary spring which now seemingly can do the work of two. There are more seats over the bogies. There are no more hydraulics and the tram is made of CorTen steel. So in fact it is a completely new design.
Tel Aviv
It was announced that the first production series would go to
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
in Israel for its
upcoming light rail network,
but the project was delayed and the construction of the first line, the
Red Line, started in September 2011. It will be in operational in 2016-2017 with the majority of stations underground. However, Tel Aviv Municipality later awarded the bid for rolling stock to rival
Constutones Y Aulixar De Ferlonces of Zaragoza
,Spain instead.
The Hague
HTM Personenvervoer
HTM Personenvervoer NV (HTM, from the former name Haagsche Tramweg Maatschappij) is a public transport company in the Netherlands operating trams, lightrail and buses in The Hague, Rijswijk, Leidschendam, Voorburg, Delft, Zoetermeer, Wateringen ...
of
The Hague
The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...
in the Netherlands, the operator of
the city's tram network, announced in November 2011 the purchase of 40 Avenio trams. They will be 35 meters long at a width of 2.55 meters with a seating capacity of 70 and a standing capacity of 168. The contract is worth 100 million euro including driver training and spare parts. They are being built in Wien Simmering, with the bogies in
Graz
Graz (; sl, Gradec) is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria and second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. As of 1 January 2021, it had a population of 331,562 (294,236 of whom had principal-residence status). In 2018, the popul ...
. In March 2014 it was announced a further 20 trams were being ordered. The first (5003) entered service on 2 November 2015 on Route 2. Power and breaking is controlled by pedals.
Doha
A consortium led by Siemens is building a tram system for
Education City
Education City is a development in Al Rayyan, Qatar. Developed by the Qatar Foundation, the property houses various educational facilities, including satellite campuses of eight international universities.
History
Education City was launched b ...
in
Doha
Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the coun ...
, the capital of
Qatar
Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
.
[Qatar Foundation to get turnkey tram system from Siemens]
Siemens website, 30 July 2012 The opening was scheduled for autumn 2015
but has been delayed to 2016.
No
overhead wires
An overhead line or overhead wire is an electrical cable that is used to transmit electrical energy to electric locomotives, trolleybuses or trams. It is known variously as:
* Overhead catenary
* Overhead contact system (OCS)
* Overhead equipment ...
will be installed, since the 10 Avenio trams will be powered by the Siemens Sitras HES system (
Hybrid Energy Storage), a combination of a
supercapacitor and a
traction battery
An electric vehicle battery (EVB, also known as a traction battery) is a rechargeable battery used to power the electric motors of a battery electric vehicle (BEV) or hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). Typically lithium-ion batteries, they are spec ...
that will be charged at each stop through an
overhead conductor rail
An overhead line or overhead wire is an electrical cable that is used to transmit electrical energy to electric locomotives, trolleybuses or trams. It is known variously as:
* Overhead catenary
* Overhead contact system (OCS)
* Overhead equipment ...
.
The network will have 25
stops
Stop may refer to:
Places
*Stop, Kentucky, an unincorporated community in the United States
* Stop (Rogatica), a village in Rogatica, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Facilities
* Bus stop
* Truck stop, a type of rest stop for truck dri ...
on of track; the trams are in three modules with a capacity of 238 passengers.
Munich
On 28 September 2012,
Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft
The ''Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft'' (MVG; Munich Transport Company) is a municipally owned company responsible for operating public transport in Munich, Germany. It operates buses, the Munich tramway and the Munich U-Bahn.
The company is a sub ...
(MVG) of
Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...
, Germany, announced an order of 8 Avenio trams for
that city's tramway system. They are 36 m long, 2.3 m wide and have 4 modules. The contract was worth approx. 29 million Euros and it is understood that this allows six units to be built ahead of the Den Haag trams. Due to bad management and ongoing problems with the
Stadler Variobahn
The Stadler Variobahn (formerly sold as the ABB Variotram, Adtranz Variotram and Bombardier Variotram) is a German-designed model of articulated low-floor tram and light rail vehicle. Since its introduction in 1993, the Variobahn has been manufa ...
s the Avenios were necessary to deliver the advertised service improvements in the new timetable effective December 2013. They were supposed to be fully operational in little more than a year, however the first entered service on 17 September 2014 on Route 19.
Copenhagen
29 Avenios will operate
Hovedstadens Letbane
Greater Copenhagen Light Rail ( da, Hovedstadens Letbane) is a planned electric light rail system crossing the lines of the S-train in Greater Copenhagen, Denmark, parallel to but outside the borders of Copenhagen Municipality. Its first stage ...
(Greater Copenhagen Light Rail) from its opening in 2025.
Avenio M and Avenio HF
For systems that still prefer to use the Combino concept, can order the ''Avenio M''. Systems that require trams that can stop at high-platform stops, can order the ''Avenio HF''.
New Stadtbahn Avenios For Düsseldorf And Duisburg
Retrieved 30 June 2022.
See also
* Combino
The Siemens Combino is a low-floor tram produced by Siemens Mobility (formerly Duewag). The first prototype was produced in 1996 at the Duewag works in Düsseldorf; the trams are now made in Krefeld- Uerdingen.
Due to its modular design using ...
* Astra Imperio
Astra Imperio is a tram produced by the Romanian company Astra Vagoane Călători in Arad. It is a 100% low-floor, designed in partnership with Siemens. Imperio's design is based on the Avenio platform using electronic and traction equipment supp ...
References
External links
Official Avenio webpage
Light rail vehicles
Tram vehicles of Hungary
Tram vehicles of Portugal
Siemens tram vehicles
Articulated passenger trains