Yet another two important European cities have chosen CAF to supply urban public transport service vehicles. Firstly, Bonn will receive 22 LRV units in a new contract for the company on the German market, and secondly, EMT (Empresa de Transportes Municipales de Madrid) will replace part of its bus fleet with 60 Solaris electric units. These two contracts amount to a value of over 110 million euros.
New contract in Germany to supply LRV units for Bonn
CAF has been selected by the companies Stadtwerke Bonn Verkehrs GmbH (SWBV) and Elektrische Bahnen der Stadt Bonn und des Rhein-Sieg-Kreises GmbH (SSB), operators of the transport services in the city of Bonn and its outskirts, to supply 22 LRV units, and also the spare parts for this fleet. Likewise, the agreement contemplates the possibility of increasing the number of units by a further 10.
The fleet of vehicles of SWB Bus und Bahn and SSB operate on the entire network, while also running on part of the intercity lines connecting the nearby city of Cologne. The new CAF LRVs will boost the capacity of this fleet of vehicles in order to cover the customer's planned increase in frequencies of service, as well as the rise in the number of passengers.
These high-floor bi-directional units have a length of 28 metres and are similar in design and dimensions to the units called "Stadtbahnwagen B", a vehicle type that has been in service for many years now on a number of networks in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. In this case, beyond the design similarities, the CAF vehicles feature the latest innovations with regard to comfort and safety, for this type of urban transport unit.
This project is on top of the one to supply 51 LRVs to operator Ruhrbahn GmbH for the nearby city of Essen, awarded to CAF in June 2021 and which is currently underway. These units are similar, confirming the success of this vehicle model made by CAF. Both contracts are for the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, with a population of close on 18 million, the most populous state in the country, accounting for approximately 22% of the gross domestic product of Germany.
Madrid to invest in zero emission vehicles, purchasing 60 electric buses
The CAF Group has been selected by EMT (Municipal Transport Company of Madrid) to supply 60 Urbino12 electric buses, one of the manufacturer's flagship models. In this way, Madrid is showing its commitment to sustainable mobility with the acquisition of silent, zero-emission vehicles, which offer high operability in all types of conditions.
To convert 25% of the fleet to electric by 2025 and to stop purchasing diesel-powered buses from 2023 onwards, are two of the ambitious objectives set by the EMT operator and which are gradually being implemented. In fact, only a year ago, Solaris also reached an agreement with EMT for the supply of 250 natural gas-fuelled buses. This new order therefore confirms the trust placed in Solaris by EMT for the mentioned renewal of its fleet of buses.
The Solaris electric vehicles selected by this Madrid-based operator will be powered by latest generation batteries, thereby guaranteeing sufficient run-time and operability for service in the capital. These 12-metre long buses will have a capacity for 80 passengers, 25 of which will be seated. Likewise, the buses will be equipped with an efficient air conditioning system, USB ports and a latest generation passenger information system, for guaranteed passenger comfort and convenience.
At present, close on 450 Solaris buses are already in service in a number of Spanish cities, and the fact that three quarters of these vehicles have low- or zero-emission technology should also be highlighted. It is worthy of note that Solaris is the European leader in the electric and hydrogen bus market.