Flexity Swift

Flexity Swift
A low-floor 2010 Flexity Swift from Metro do Porto in Porto, Portugal.
Manufacturer	Bombardier Transportation
Number built	"more than 1000"
Specifications
Articulations	2
Length	See tables
Width	See tables
Height	(?)
Weight	See tables
Maximum speed	80 km/h (50 mph)
Steep gradient	(?)
Minimum turning radius	(?)
Gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)

The Flexity Swift tram is a family of urban and inter-urban light-rail vehicles manufactured by Bombardier Transportation for a wide number of customers across Europe. Bombardier also manufactures several other families of tram to suit the needs and requirements of customers including the Flexity Classic and the Flexity 2 as well as legacy designs from its acquisition of Adtranz such as the Flexity Outlook. Railly News reported that, by the end of 2015, more than 1000 Flexity Swift vehicles had been sold.

Introduction

The Flexity Swift family are all bi-directional with cabs at both ends and doors on both sides and an emphasis is placed on speed with units capable of safely reaching speeds of 80 km/h (50 mph) when running on dedicated lines. The trams vary in length and are articulated with three sections; the centre section is very short on most trams but can be replaced with a longer piece in order to increase capacity, as London is considering doing for future lines. The trams can also be coupled together into trains. Most vehicles typically weigh between 35 and 40 tonnes (34 and 39 long tons; 39 and 44 short tons), though the ones made for the Minneapolis line are heavier due to stricter crashworthiness requirements in the United States (particularly buff strength) and the vehicles in Rotterdam are also heavier due to increased length and more motors. The Flexity Swift family comes in two distinct versions with a 70% low-floor version to allow access to those in wheelchairs without requiring the construction of high platforms in city streets and a high-floor version with level boarding at raised platforms in order to retain compatibility with stations built for older trams or trains.

Systems using the Flexity Swift tram include Cologne (for which it was originally designed), south London's Tramlink, Istanbul, Rotterdam, Stockholm (lines 12 and 22), and the Minneapolis-Saint Paul METRO Light Rail. Merseytram in Liverpool/Merseyside planned to use the same model as London, however the tram scheme has been cancelled. Several independent orders have been made for Flexity Swift trams for use on Manchester Metrolink in England which as of January 2010, have begun to be delivered at a rate of two units per month, additional units have since been ordered bringing the total to 62.

The Flexity Swift's closest competitors are Alstom's Citadis, the Siemens Combino and Avanto, Sirio from Ansaldobreda, and Bombardier's other Flexity trams.

Technical specifications

Low-floor versions

City	Operator	Image	Type designation	Built in	Number of vehicles	Length m (ft)	Width m (ft in)	Weight (empty) t (LT; ST)	Maximum power kW (hp)
Cologne, Germany	KVB		K4000	1995–1999, 2002	124	28.40 m (93.2 ft)	2.65 m (8 ft 8 in)	35.50 t (34.94 long tons; 39.13 short tons)	4 x 120 kW (160 hp)
			K4500	2004–2007	69	28.50 m (93.5 ft)	2.65 m (8 ft 8 in)	37.40 t (36.81 long tons; 41.23 short tons)	4 x 120 kW (160 hp)
Croydon (Tramlink) Greater London, United Kingdom	TfL		CR4000	1998–2000	24	30.10 m (98.8 ft)	2.65 m (8 ft 8 in)	36.30 t (35.73 long tons; 40.01 short tons)	4 x 120 kW (160 hp)
Istanbul, Turkey	ITC		A32	2003	55	29.70 m (97.4 ft)	2.65 m (8 ft 8 in)	39.20 t (38.58 long tons; 43.21 short tons)	4 x 120 kW (160 hp)
Karlsruhe, Germany	AVG and VBK		ET 2010 (Tram-train)	2011-2013	30	37 m (121 ft)	2.65 m (8 ft 8 in)	62.5 t (61.5 long tons; 68.9 short tons)	4 x 150 kW (200 hp)
Melbourne, Australia	Yarra Trams		E	2013-2018	50 (options for a further 100)	33 m (108 ft)	2.65 m (8 ft 8 in)		6 x 85 kW (114 hp)
Minneapolis, Minnesota (METRO Light Rail), USA	Metro Transit		Type 1 LRV	2003–2007	27	28.65 m (94.0 ft)	2.65 m (8 ft 8 in)	48.50 t (47.73 long tons; 53.46 short tons)
Porto, Portugal	Metro do Porto		Traintram	2010	30	37.07 m (121.6 ft)	2.65 m (8 ft 8 in)
RijnGouweLijn, Netherlands	NS		A32	1999–2003	6 (sold to Stockholm June 2010)	29.70 m (97.4 ft)	2.65 m (8 ft 8 in)	37.50 t (36.91 long tons; 41.34 short tons)	4 x 120 kW (160 hp)
Stockholm, Sweden	SL		A32	1999–2008	31, additionally 6 second hand	29.70 m (97.4 ft)	2.65 m (8 ft 8 in)	37.50 t (36.91 long tons; 41.34 short tons)	4 x 120 kW (160 hp)

High-floor versions

City	Operator	Image	Type designation	Built in	Number of vehicles	Length	Width	Weight (empty)	Maximum power
Bonn, Germany	SWB		K5000	2003	15	28.40 m	2.65 m	37.80 t	4 x 120 kW
Bursa, Turkey	Bursaray		U5-2010 Bursa	2010 – 2011	30	28.00 m	2.65 m	38.00 t	4 x 120 kW
Cologne, Germany	KVB		K5000	2002–2003	59	28.40 m	2.65 m	37.80 t	4 x 120 kW
			K5200	2010-2011	15		2.65 m
				2020-2021	20	28 m	2.65 m
Düsseldorf, Germany	Rheinbahn		HF6	2017-2020	42	28 m	2.65 m
Frankfurt am Main, Germany	VgF		U5-25 (Bi-directional)	2008–2017	94	25.02 m	2.65 m	37.20 t	4 x 130 kW
			U5-50 (Uni-directional)	2008–2017	130	24.764 m	2.65 m	36.15 t	4 x 130 kW
İzmir, Turkey	İzmir Metro		MD	Ordered 2001	30	23.5 m	2.65 m	32.00 t	4 x 75 kW
			M	Ordered 2001	15	23.5 m	2.65 m		4 x 75 kW
Greater Manchester, England	Metrolink		M5000	2009 - 2017	120	28.40 m	2.65 m	39.70 t	4 x 120 kW
Rotterdam, Netherlands	RET		MG2/1, SG2/1	1998 - 2002	81	30.50 m	2.664 m	44.20 t	6 x 85 kW
			RSG3, SG3	2007 - 2016	64	42.00 m	2.664 m	64.30 t	8 x 130 kW

External links

• Flexity official site
• About London's trams (unofficial)