The first Stadler underground trains in Berlin to start service for Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe in 2015

Stadler presents mock-up of Berlin underground train at UITP in Geneva

Bussnang, 9-5-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — The first Stadler underground trains in Berlin will start service for Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) in 2015. The UITP congress in Geneva at the end of May will be the first opportunity for international industry professionals to view the model of the new IK underground train in the form of a walk-in 1:1 mock-up. In the UITP’s host city Geneva, visitors can travel on the Tango trams from Stadler. What sets this tram family apart is that it has already been built in a wide range of customer-specific variations.

Last July, Stadler Pankow GmbH, the German company of the Swiss Stadler Rail Group, won the tender for the IK series underground trains for BVG. The initial order was for 2 preliminary series vehicles with an option for another 34 underground trains. This underground order is the first of its kind for Stadler. The two preliminary series vehicles will be put into service on Berlin underground routes U1 to U4 in 2015.

Over the last few months, work has been ongoing at the Babelsberg film studios, under the watchful eyes of the designers (Designbüro Staubach), the Stadler project team and BVG, to produce a 1:1 model of a compartment, including driver’s cab. This will be on show at the UITP in Geneva for the industry professionals to walk in and inspect.

More space in the vehicle
The new narrow-profile underground has a few special features, which are already clearly visible at the mock-up stage. The underground trains are 10 centimetres wider, which was made possible with “ballooning” to create more space for the passengers. The seats and multi-purpose areas are arranged with comfort in mind. Extra space has been created for wheelchairs, pushchairs and bicycles – with consistent barrier-free access also a key consideration. The vehicle has modern passenger information systems and video cameras.

Increased comfort is also embodied in the quiet ride with special air suspension. Another key feature is the driver’s workstation, which is designed so that the driver can work in either a standing or seated position – the seat can be converted in a few simple steps.

Product portfolio at UITP
In addition to the BVG mock-up, Stadler will be providing further insights into its latest vehicle innovations. Various models will be on show, including a 1:22-scale model of the Variobahn in Potsdam. At the UITP, Stadler will be located at Stand 2B360.

Since the beginning of this year, Stadler has been operating a joint venture with a partner in Minsk. In future, Stadler Minsk will also produce and market trolleybuses, primarily for the CIS market. A trolleybus will be showcased at a separate stand. Stadler Minks and the trolleybus exhibition can be found at Stand 4A350.

Tango tram in Geneva
Visitors to the UITP in Geneva will also have the opportunity to view the latest generation of trams for themselves: the first 19 of 32 Tango trams ordered have been in service for the Geneva transport operator TPG since 2011. One of the things that sets them apart is their low operating costs. This is due in part to the low levels of wheel wear and low energy consumption. The TPG vehicles are bidirectional. The same type of vehicle is used by BLT (one of the two Basel tram operators) in Basel. Completely different versions of the Tango tram are also in service in other cities, such as Stuttgart.

For further information, please contact:

Questions on the Berlin underground:
Stadler Pankow GmbH, Berlin
Katrin Block, Sales and Marketing
Telephone: +49 (0)30 9191 1501
katrin.block@stadlerrail.de

All other questions:
Stadler Rail Group, Bussnang
Tim Büchele, Secretary General
Telephone: +41 (0)71 626 31 57
pressestelle@stadlerrail.com

Stadler Rail Group, system supplier of customer-specific solutions for rail vehicle construction, has locations in Switzerland (Altenrhein, Bussnang, Winterthur and Biel), in Germany (Berlin-Pankow, Berlin-Hohenschönhausen, Berlin-Reinickendorf and Velten), in Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Italy, Austria, Algeria and in the USA. The Group has a workforce of around 5,000 people, of which 3,000 are based in Switzerland. The best-known vehicle series from Stadler Rail Group are the articulated multiple-unit train GTW (563 trains sold), the Regio-Shuttle RS1 (497 trains sold), the FLIRT (890 trains sold) and the double-decker multiple-unit train KISS (170 trains sold) in the railway segment, and the Variobahn (312 vehicles sold) and the Tango (101 vehicles sold) in the tram segment. Furthermore, Stadler Rail manufactures metre-gauge trains, passenger carriages and locomotives and is the world’s leading manufacturer of rack-and-pinion rail vehicles.

Press office

Divisions Switzerland and International

Tim Büchele
Press relations officer
Phone: +41 (0) 71 626 31 57
Mobile: +41 (0) 79 765 49 31
pressestelle@stadlerrail.com
Division Germany

Katrin Block
Telefon: +49 30 9191-1501
Mobile: +49 160 90641935
Katrin.Block@stadlerrail.de