A huge tram network in Europe has rolled out its latest exciting addition – the world’s longest tram.
It made its debut this week as part of a £216million upgrade of the Rhein-Neckar-Verkehr line, which connects three cities in southwest Germany.
Heidelberg, Mannheim and Ludwigshafen am Rhein are served. These straddle the states of Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Pfalz and Hessen.
euronews reports that the huge tram is up and running as part of a €260million package. This is set to be delivered fully by the end of 2026.
The huge tram is exactly 58.61 metres-long. Its carriages have room for 368 passengers, and they have air conditioning. The tram is capable of travelling at 80km/h.
The record-breaking public transportation feat will travel on urban and inter-city routes, and its design means it can be split into sections.
This is so it can be maintained or different length trams can be created.
In 2017, the EU announced that it would be contributing €154million (£128m) for the renewal of part of the tramway fleet.
The project aimed to improve comfort and energy efficiency, as well as reduce noise emissions by the replacement of old trams with ‘new and better’ rolling stock. It was thought to cost €265million (£220m).
At the time, officials said: “The project mainly replaces a fleet of obsolete trams with new modern trams, but also contributes to a modest capacity increase of the fleet for the network in the Rhein-Neckar region in and around the cities Heidelberg, Mannheim and Ludwigshafen.”
They added: “The new vehicles will contribute to competitiveness and attractiveness of public transport and will bring maintenance cost savings and other benefits such as improved noise and emission levels. In the absence of these investments, the public transport service quality would deteriorate and encourage the use of private cars with the associated negative impacts in terms of noise, energy consumption and associated emissions.
“The project is in line with the mobility plans of the cities, other territorial bodies and the region Rhein-Neckar. The existing rolling stock reached the end of its technical life (more than 50% of the current fleet -95 trams- will be over 25 years old by 2024-2027). The trams to be replaced by the newly purchased trams will be taken out of service. They might be sold, but will most likely be scrapped.”