A Long-Standing Partnership

The lead article of the very first edition of the tram.news reported on Stadtwerke Bielefeld GmbH’s depot extension in 1997. Today, the name of Bielefeld’s public transport operator has changed to moBiel GmbH, but one thing has not changed: HANNING & KAHL still works very closely with the company.

“In the last 25 years we have successfully completed many projects together and we feel closely connected to our local transport operator“, says Kay Klöcker, HANNING & KAHL Key Account Manager. A sentiment which is echoed by Kai-Uwe Steinbrecher, Manager of the Technology Division at moBiel, and a loyal reader of the tram.news: “Whether point machines, brakes, or control and safety technology – we have been using HANNING & KAHL technology for decades. Having such a trusting working relationship means the manufacturer knows exactly what we need“, he is pleased to say. A win-win situation. Thanking the transport operator for their commitment, Kay Klöcker says: “moBiel is always willing to put our new systems through their paces in pilot projects.”

New Vamos GT8Z-BII
Since October 2020, moBiel GmbH has been gradually modernising their fleet with the second batch of 24 new Vamos vehicles. As well as supplying the hydraulic braking systems, HANNING & KAHL is responsible for mounting, installation and tests. Before commissioning, various electronic systems were set to the conditions prevailing on Bielefeld’s rail network. After mounting and installation, individual systems, like brakes or train protection, were subjected to extensive testing. Project completion is scheduled for the end of this year.

Reconstruction measures 
Before moBiel could deploy the Vamos vehicles, they had to reconstruct Sieker depot and relocate Sieker Mitte tram stop. As vehicles start and end their journeys in Sieker, it is not your run-of-the-mill depot. “We had to connect different kinds of technology, which entailed a high degree of complexity“, explained Klöcker: “This included a software solution supplied by Verkehrsautomatisierung Berlin for secured-route management, signalling installations and vehicle detection supplied by HANNING & KAHL and other makes of train control and emergency braking.”

The tracks on Sieker depot had to be adapted before the Vamos vehicles could be mounted properly. Points, point machines and signals and the depot controller had to be renewed. The challenge here: as the depot could only be switched off for a short time, switch-over took place amid rolling operations. With simulations of the components to be replaced and the new components, HANNING & KAHL kept the old controller alive until the last minute. The new tracks were added one by one, the equipment was replaced over a weekend. For the future, one thing is clear: both companies are continuing to set their course on cooperation.