The Berlin Transport Authority (BVG) ordered 47 additional trams from rail technology leader Bombardier Transportation. This is an option order based on the framework agreement for a maximum of 206 vehicles signed in 2006. The order is valued at approximately 176 million euro (US$ 190 million).
BVG originally ordered four pre-series vehicles for testing followed by 99 trams in 2009 and a call-off for 39 trams in 2012. The total number of vehicles now stands at 189. In response to the constantly rising number of passengers, 20 trams from a previous order will be modified from five to seven-module vehicles.
“By ordering another 47 FLEXITY and the conversion of short to long trams, BVG proactively responds to the requirement arising from the growing city of Berlin for local public transport,” Klaus-Dietrich Matschke, Director for Trams at BVG, pointed out.
Carsten Bopp, Head of Light Rail Vehicles, Bombardier Transportation, said: “Having handed over the 100th tram to BVG in summer 2015, this call-off is yet another important milestone in the long and successful cooperation in the German capital. The increasing number of passengers confirms the attractiveness of public transport in Berlin, the city with the fourth largest tram network worldwide, and we are proud to be an integral part of this success story.“
