Vossloh awarded follow-up order from Hannover for light rail vehicles

• Üstra exercises contract option and orders another 50 LRV from Vossloh Electrical Systems
• New order worth more than EUR90 million
• Award coincides with the handover of the first units ordered in 2011

Üstra Hannoversche Verkehrsbetriebe (Üstra), Hanno-ver’s public transport operator, has awarded Vossloh Electrical Systems (Vossloh Kiepe) a contract for another 50 light rail vehicles. This follow-up order is worth more than EUR90 million.

Back in 2011, Üstra had placed a contract for 50 LRV along with an option for another 96 of which 50 have now been ordered. The option was exercised on November 15, 2013, to coincide with the handover of the first units from the original contract.

Over the coming days, the bidirectional vehicles will undergo dynamic commissioning to be probably completed by the end of February 2014.

Once approved, the LRVs are expected to commence passenger duty in early March. These 25-m high-floor LRVs, model TW 3000, are remarkable for their ultramodern engineering, ample passenger comfort, and compliance with strict safety standards, their impact- and crash-absorbent elements affording heightened collision protection.

The design of the driver’s workplace takes full account of the ergonomic needs of Üstra tram drivers who had expressed their wishes regarding an ideal working environment that now meets their approval throughout.

The previous vehicles have been in service at Üstra for meanwhile 30 years and will successively be replaced by the new LRV.

Today’s Vossloh is a global player in the rail technology markets.

The Group focuses on its core businesses of rail infrastructure, rail vehicles, and electric buses. Reflecting this focus, Vossloh’s two divisions, Rail Infrastructure and Transportation, operate under the roof of Vossloh AG. In fiscal 2012, around 5,100 employees generated sales of EUR1.2 billion and an EBIT of EUR97.5 million.