Low-floor tram

Two low floor trams, an Alstom Citadis 302 and Bombardier Flexity Classic in Adelaide, South Australia

A low-floor tram is a tram that has no stairsteps between one or more entrances and part or all of the passenger cabin. The low-floor design improves the accessibility of the tram for the public, and also may provide larger windows and more airspace.^[1]

An accessible platform-level floor in a tram can be achieved either by using a high-floor vehicle serving high-platform tram stops, or with a true low-floor vehicle interfacing with curb level stops.

Currently both types are in use, depending on the station platform infrastructure in existing rail systems. Some systems may make use of former railway alignments where use of existing high platforms is desirable, while others, particularly new systems, may not have the space to site high-level stops in urban centres.

Low-floor tram configurations[]

Entry door of a low-floor tram, with "roll-in" level floor accessibility.

Entry door of a high-floor tram. Stair steps are visible just inside the door.

Trams traditionally had high floors, and these designs evolved into the tram with a low-floor centre section. Examples of this design are Amsterdam 11g/12g-trams and the Kusttrams in Belgium.

The most common design of 100% low floor vehicles uses short carbody sections for the wheels and longer suspended sections. Examples of this are the Alstom Citadis and Combino. A similar, but somewhat older technique is one that has been developed by MAN. In 1990, it was the first 100% low floor tram. These trams are found in ten German cities (such as Bremen and Munich) and in the Swedish city Norrköping. In many other German cities there are trams with low floor between the outer bogies and single axle bogies under the centre section.

"Light rail" type vehicles frequently have a similar configuration but with a centre bogie designed to accommodate a low floor situated under a short centre section. A more radical approach has been adopted for the City Class LRV (Citytram), where the main low floor section is only 300 mm above the rail. The low floor runs right through the articulation of both the 29 m long and 38 m Super Citytram version. In both, the corridor through the articulation is wide enough for seated passengers and a wheelchair to pass through. The City Class has been designed to turn on 15 m radius curves and to climb 10% gradients.

In Austria, the Porsche designed Ultra Low Floor (ULF) Trams can "kneel" at the curbside, reducing the height from the road to only 180 mm.

Wheelchair access ramp in Protram 205 WrAs tram. Low floor is approximately 360 mm high

Some public transport companies have both low floor and high floor trams. They report that low floor trams have 15% higher maintenance costs for the rolling stock, and 20% higher maintenance costs for the infrastructure on average.^[2] Among the problems observed is that the missing bogies result in a higher level of wear and tear.

Many low floor trams have fixed bogies^[3] which increase track wear and tear, while decreasing the speed at which a tram can drive through a curve (usually 4–15 km/h in 20 m radius curve).^[4] The Škoda ForCity and the newest Alstom Citadis X04 try to counter the effect with low floor pivoting bogies while maintaining 100% low floor design. Prior to the new design, pivoting bogies could only be used under high floors, hence such trams could only be part low-floor, with high-floor sections over the pivoting bogies.

Historic examples[]

Brisbane Hedley-Doyle Stepless tram, No. 301

The idea of a low-floor tram dates back to the early 20th century when a number of trolley systems began experimenting with various "stepless" designs. Perhaps the most notable is the Hedley-Doyle Stepless car introduced in 1912 for use on Broadway in Manhattan.^[5] A number of other cities also purchased Hedley-Doyle Stepless trams after seeing their success in Manhattan. Since these cars had a unique appearance compared to any other trams running at the time, they earned a number of nicknames, including hobble skirt cars, public welfare cars, and sow bellies.^[6]

Typical floor heights[]

To put things into perspective, here are some typical floor heights for public transport vehicles, old and new:

Ultra Low Floor tram — 180 mm (7 inches)
Low-floor tram — 300 mm to 350 mm (11.8 to 13.78 inches)
High-floor tram — more than 600 mm (23.62 inches)
Heavy rail rapid transit — 800 mm (31.5 inches) to 1200 mm (47.25 inches)
North American inter-city rail passenger cars — 1350 mm (51 inches)

List of low-floor trams by country manufactured and manufacturers[]

AKSM-843 in Kazan

Belarus[]

Belkommunmash

- Third Generation tram on Minsk tramway
- Fourth generation tram on Minsk tramway

Canada[]

Bombardier Transportation (are subtypes and more)

Bombardier Flexity Outlook in Toronto

Bombardier Cobra in Zürich

E-class Melbourne tram

Type 1 LVR Flexity Swift in Minneapolis, Minnesota

K5000 in Bonn

Citytram
Cobra
CR4000 Flexity Swift
(Tram-train)
E-class Melbourne tram Flexity Swift
Flexity 2
Flexity 2 (version for Blackpool)
Flexity Berlin (Incentro family)
Flexity Classic
Flexity Freedom
Flexity Link
Flexity Outlook Eurotram
Flexity Outlook Cityrunner
Flexity Outlook Olympic Line
Flexity Outlook (version for Toronto)
(not low-floor, but due to the high platform is wheelchair-accessible)
Incentro
Incentro AT6/5 (version for Nottingham)
(not low-floor, but due to the high platform is wheelchair-accessible)
(not low-floor, but due to the high platform is wheelchair-accessible)
(not low-floor, but due to the high platform is wheelchair-accessible)
T2000
Bombardier Variobahn

Croatia[]

CROTRAM

TMK 2200-K in Zagreb

TMK 2200 (NT 2200)
TMK 2200 K
TMK 2300

Czech Republic[]

ČKD Tatra

Two Tatra KT8D5R.N2P cars in Prague

(reconstruction with low-floor middle section)
(reconstruction with low-floor middle section)
(with low-floor middle section)
(reconstruction with low-floor middle section)
(reconstruction with low-floor middle section)
(reconstruction with low-floor middle section)
KTNF6 (reconstruction with low-floor middle section)
(reconstruction with low-floor middle section)
(reconstruction with low-floor middle section)

Tatra T3R.PLF (first car) in Prague

(nicknamed "wana" (Czech for 'bath') - newly built with low-floor middle section)
("wana")
("wana")
("wana")
("wana")
(tow tramcar)

Škoda Transportation

Škoda 19T Electra in Wrocław

Inekon Trams

Inekon 12 Trio in Portland

France[]

Alstom

Citadis 302 in Lyon

Tramway Français Standard-2 vehicle in Grenoble

Citadis 100
Citadis 202 (on Melbourne tramway locally designated C-class)
Citadis 301
Citadis 301 CIS numbers: 71-801.
Citadis 302 (on Melbourne tramway locally designated C2-class)
Citadis 401
Citadis 402
Citadis 502
Citadis X-04 (204, 304, 404)
Citadis X-05 (205, 305, 405)
Regio-Citadis
Citadis Dualis
Citadis Spirit
Tatra KTNF8 in Gera
Tramway Français Standard (TFS)-1 (low-floor added at a later date)
TFS-2
Translohr vehicles
TW 2000 (not low-floor, but due to the high platform is wheelchair-accessible)

Germany[]

Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft AG (AEG)

ATAC Class 9000 in Rome

Duewag

Duewag-Vevey Be 4/6 in Geneva

Düwag GT8N in Freiburg

MGT6D in Erfurt

(reconstruction with low-floor middle section)
(reconstruction with 73% low-floor)
(reconstruction with low-floor middle section)
(not low-floor, but due to the high platform is wheelchair-accessible)
(reconstruction with low-floor middle section)
(reconstruction with low-floor middle section)
(reconstruction with low-floor middle section)
(not low-floor, but due to the high platform is wheelchair-accessible)
Stadtbahnwagen B (not low-floor, but due to the high platform is wheelchair-accessible)
Supertram
TW 6000 (not low-floor, but due to the high platform is wheelchair-accessible)
U2 (not low-floor, but due to the high platform is wheelchair-accessible)
(not low-floor, but due to the high platform is wheelchair-accessible)
(not low-floor, but due to the high platform is wheelchair-accessible)

MAN

N8S-NF in Kraków

(not low-floor, but due to the high platform is wheelchair-accessible)
(reconstruction with low-floor middle section)

Siemens

Avenio in The Hague

GT8-100D/2S-M and GT8-100D/2S-M in Karlsruhe

Avenio (on Munich tramway locally designated )
Combino (on Melbourne tramway locally designated D1-class and D2-class)
Combino Plus (also known as Combino Supra or Combino MkII)
(not low-floor, but due to the high platform is wheelchair-accessible)
Supertram
S70
SD-160 in platform level version (not low-floor, but due to the high platform is wheelchair-accessible)
S200 (not low-floor, but due to the high platform is wheelchair-accessible)
SD-400 (not low-floor, but due to the high platform is wheelchair-accessible)
SD-460 (not low-floor, but due to the high platform is wheelchair-accessible)
Stadtbahnwagen B (not low-floor, but due to the high platform is wheelchair-accessible)
TW 2000 (not low-floor, but due to the high platform is wheelchair-accessible)
Ultra Low Floor (ULF) in Vienna
U2 (not low-floor, but due to the high platform is wheelchair-accessible)
(not low-floor, but due to the high platform is wheelchair-accessible)
(not low-floor, but due to the high platform is wheelchair-accessible)

Adtranz

Eurotram in Strasbourg

Eurotram (on Milan tramway locally designated as Class 7000)
GTxN/M/S (on Munich tramway locally designated classes and )
(not low-floor, but due to the high platform is wheelchair-accessible)
Variobahn

Vossloh Kiepe

(not low-floor, but due to the high platform is wheelchair-accessible)
(not low-floor, but due to the high platform is wheelchair-accessible)
Stadtbahnwagen B

Ireland[]

Alstom

Italy[]

AnsaldoBreda

SL95 in Oslo

(family Sirio)
(family Sirio)
(family Sirio)
M32 trams on Gothenburg tramway (family Sirio)
TEB serie 001-014 on Bergamo–Albino light rail
SL95
T-68 (not low-floor, but due to the high platform is wheelchair-accessible)
T-68A (not low-floor, but due to the high platform is wheelchair-accessible)
T-69

Fiat Ferroviaria

ATM 6000 in Turin

Società Costruzioni Industriali Milano (Socimi)

Eurotram (on Milan tramway locally designated as )

Japan[]

Little Dancer Type C in Hakodate

Little Dancer Type A
Little Dancer Type C
Little Dancer Type L
Little Dancer Type S
Little Dancer Type U
Little Dancer Type Ua
Little Dancer Type X

Kinki Sharyo

Poland[]

Konstal

Konstal 114Na in Gdańsk

Moderus Beta MF 01 in Gdańsk

(reconstruction with low-floor middle section)
(reconstruction with low-floor middle section)

PESA

Pesa 122 in Toruń

Protram

Protram 205WrAs in Wrocław

Protram 205 WrAs
- In project phase
- one prototype produced in 2012 and is used since then in Kraków

Solaris Bus & Coach

Romania[]

Astra Vagoane Călători

Astra Imperio in Arad

Astra Autentic
Astra Imperio

URAC Bucharest

Bucur LF (65% low floor)
V3A-93-CH/CA-PPC (low-floor middle section)
V3A-93-PPC (reconstruction with low-floor middle section)

Russian Federation[]

PTMZ (Petěrburgskij tramvajno-mechaničeskij zavod)

71-154М in Volgograd

(71-154) and 71-154М

UKVZ (Usť-Katavskij vagonstrojitělnyj zavod imeni Sergeje Mironoviče Kirova)

(71-623)
(71-624)
(71-625)
(71-630)
(71-631)

Tver Carriage Works

71-931M (Vityaz-M) in Moscow

71-911E in Rostov-on-Don

71-911 (City Star)
71-931 (Vityaz) and 71-931M (Vityaz-M)

Spain[]

Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF)

Urbos 70 or 100 in Budapest

Urbos 1
Urbos 2
Urbos 3 - version Urbos 70
Urbos 3 - version Urbos 100
Urbos 3 - version Urbos AXL
Urbos 3 - version Urbos TT
Urbos 3 - version Urbos LRV

Vossloh España

Switzerland[]

ABB Group

(not low-floor, but due to the high platform is wheelchair-accessible)
Tram 2000 Be 4/8 (low-floor middle section)
Variobahn

Stadler Rail

Tango (Model Basel) in Zürich

Tango (Model Bochum)
Tango (Model Basel)
Variobahn (on Munich tramway locally designated )

Turkey[]

Bozankaya

Ukraine[]

Electrontrans

Electron T5L64 in Lviv

(experimental)
(experimental)

(experimental)

Other trams[]

DL6WA, mark Dalianren (meaning "Dalian people") manufactured by Tram Factory of Dalian, in Dalian.
Boston MBTA Type 8 Trolley
Brookville Liberty Modern Streetcar
"Puma" (>60% low floor)
Tram_Power Trampower City Class, UK
Hedley-Doyle Stepless car (1912)^[5]
, used on the Arad, Romania tram network
RTE 2009
SEPTA PCC II (loading platform)
Transtech Oy Artic Trams
United Streetcar trams
Tram 2000 Be 4/6 (not low-floor, but due to the high platform is wheelchair-accessible)
HCP Puma
M31 on Gothenburg tramway (reconstruction with low-floor middle section)
Fukui Railway F1000 ()
Hiroden 1000 series (II) (ja:広島電鉄1000形電車 (2代))
Hiroden 5100 series ja:広島電鉄5100形電車)
Kumamoto City Tram 0800 (ja:熊本市交通局0800形電車)
Kumamoto City Tram 9700 series (ja:熊本市交通局9700形電車)
Man'yosen MLRV 1000 (ja:万葉線MLRV1000形電車)
Okayama Electric Tramway 9200 (ja:岡山電気軌道9200形電車)
ja:SWIMO
Toyama Chiho Railway 9000 series (ja:富山地方鉄道9000形電車)
Toyama Light Rail TLR 0600 (ja:富山ライトレールTLR0600形電車)
Newag Nevelo
NGT6DD-ER on Dresden tramway
Serie 3800 de FGV on Valencia tramway/CCFL fleet series 501-510 on Lisbon tramway

References[]

^ "The joy of high ceilings (also called low floors)". Human Transit. Retrieved 2010-02-22.
^ Prof. Dr. Ing. Thomas Siefer (March 2010). "Abschlussbericht - Entwicklung des Stadtbahnnetzes Hannover - Studie zum Einsatz von Niederflurfahrzeugen" (PDF). Institut für Verkehrswesen, Eisenbahnbau und -betrieb (TU Braunschweig). p. 111. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2012-02-18. Eine weitere Erknenntnis der Unternehmem, die sowohl Hochflur-, als auch Niederflurfahrzeuge im Einsatz haben, ist der direkte Kostenvergleich beider Systeme. Für die Wartung und Instandhaltung der Fahrzeuge werden im Mittel Mehrkosten in Höhe von 20% genannt. Für die Wartung und Instandhaltung der Infrastruktur werden beim Einsatz von Niederflurfahrzeugen um 15% höhere Kosten ermittelt.
^ "Zelingr, Heptner" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-05-12.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ "ČVUT.cz - Čapek, Kolář" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2010-05-12.
^ ^a ^b "A Novelty in Car Construction, The "Stepless" type of the New York Railways Company". Brill Magazine. J. G. Brill Company. VI (3): 73–84. 1912. Retrieved 2012-08-17.
^ "San Diego Electric Railway San Diego Class I Electric Streetcar Bodies No. 126, 128 & 138" (PDF). pp. 24–25. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-05-06. Retrieved 2012-08-17.

External links[]

Strassenbahn-Online ((in German))

[1] "The joy of high ceilings (also called low floors)". Human Transit. Retrieved 2010-02-22.

[2] Prof. Dr. Ing. Thomas Siefer (March 2010). "Abschlussbericht - Entwicklung des Stadtbahnnetzes Hannover - Studie zum Einsatz von Niederflurfahrzeugen" (PDF). Institut für Verkehrswesen, Eisenbahnbau und -betrieb (TU Braunschweig). p. 111. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2012-02-18. Eine weitere Erknenntnis der Unternehmem, die sowohl Hochflur-, als auch Niederflurfahrzeuge im Einsatz haben, ist der direkte Kostenvergleich beider Systeme. Für die Wartung und Instandhaltung der Fahrzeuge werden im Mittel Mehrkosten in Höhe von 20% genannt. Für die Wartung und Instandhaltung der Infrastruktur werden beim Einsatz von Niederflurfahrzeugen um 15% höhere Kosten ermittelt.

[3] "Zelingr, Heptner" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-05-12.^{[permanent dead link]}

[4] "ČVUT.cz - Čapek, Kolář" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2010-05-12.

[brillmagv6-5] "A Novelty in Car Construction, The "Stepless" type of the New York Railways Company". Brill Magazine. J. G. Brill Company. VI (3): 73–84. 1912. Retrieved 2012-08-17.

[6] "San Diego Electric Railway San Diego Class I Electric Streetcar Bodies No. 126, 128 & 138" (PDF). pp. 24–25. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-05-06. Retrieved 2012-08-17.

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