Moving with the Times

Magdeburger Verkehrsbetriebe (MVB) recently “retired” their last Tatra trams after over 30 years in line service. At the end of March 2024, the classic Czech high-floor trams were taken out of regular operation.  By Sigrid Riewe-Scholz

At the end of March 2024, the date came for the trams to undergo general inspection. On account of their age and spare-part supply difficulties, it was not economically efficient to operate them any longer. Plus, the fact that the trams did not meet barrier-free requirements.

After some special runs at the end of March, one railcar and one sidecar remain in MVB’s historic fleet. It is still not clear whether they will be kept in driving order or as exhibition objects.

Tatra trams were operated in 11 central German towns at one time, but more and more cities are now bidding them farewell and replacing them with modern low-floor vehicles. Erfurt was the first city to do so, followed by Halle, Chemnitz, Dresden, and Leipzig. These new vehicle platforms built by Alstom, Siemens, Stadler, Solaris and Heiterblick win the day with a high level of comfort, barrier-free accessibility, air conditioning, passenger-information systems, greater capacity, and feel-good quality for passengers, to name just a few of the advantages of the new technology. Most of these new vehicle platforms are equipped with HANNING & KAHL’s hydraulic braking systems.

The future signals exciting developments ahead for tram transport. In Görlitz, for example a hydrogen-powered fuel cell is being developed as a drive variant to be an environmentally-friendly alternative to conventional drive types.

Conclusion:

Replacement of the Tatra trams marks the end of an era and the beginning of a new age of city mobility. The state-of-the-art vehicles planned demonstrate progress towards more sustainable and more efficient public transport and promise improved quality of life for city dwellers and a greener future for the environment.