Bombardier Flexity Swift
A Porto Metro low-floor 2010 Bombardier Flexity Swift
ManufacturerBombardier Transportation
Number built1000+[1]
Specifications
Train lengthSee tables
WidthSee tables
Height(?)
Articulated sections2
Maximum speed80 km/h (50 mph)
WeightSee tables
Minimum turning radius25 m (82 ft)[2]
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The Bombardier Flexity Swift is a series of urban and inter-urban tram, light rail and light metro vehicles manufactured by Bombardier Transportation. It is part of the Bombardier Flexity family of rail vehicles, and like the others, Flexity Swift vehicles can be customized to suit the needs and requirements of customers including legacy designs from its acquisition of Adtranz.

Railly News reported that, by the end of 2015, more than 1,000 Flexity Swift vehicles had been sold.[1]

Overview

Vehicles in the Flexity Swift family vary in length, but are all articulated, usually with three sections. In most cases, the centre section is very short, but can be replaced with a longer section in order to increase capacity. The trams can also be coupled together into trains. Nevertheless, they are all bi-directional with cabs at both ends and doors on both sides. An emphasis is placed on speed with units capable of safely reaching speeds of 80 km/h (50 mph) when running on dedicated lines.

Most vehicles typically weigh between 35 and 40 tonnes (34.4 and 39.4 long tons; 38.6 and 44.1 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 and Karlsruhe are also heavier due to their use on a full, high-capacity rapid transit network and on mainline railway tracks, respectively.

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, generally to retain compatibility with stations built for older trams or trains. While they typically use DC overhead lines for power collection, the Rotterdam vehicles are also equipped with third rail power capability for use on the central sections of the network, while the Karlsruhe tram-trains are compatible with AC electrification which is used on the mainline railways.

Both the low and high-floor models were originally developed for use on the Cologne Stadtbahn in Germany. Other uses of Flexity Swift vehicles include London Tramlink, Manchester Metrolink,[3] the tram networks in Istanbul and Melbourne, Rotterdam Metro, Karlsruhe Stadtbahn, Bonn Stadtbahn, Stockholm light rail lines 12 and 22, and the Metro Light Rail in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota. The scrapped Merseytram plan for Liverpool in Merseyside planned to use the same model as London.

The Flexity Swift's closest competitors are the Alstom Citadis family (particularly the RegioCitadis, Citadis Dualis, and Citadis Spirit variants), Siemens's S70/Avanto, SD100/SD160, SD400/SD460 and S200, and Sirio from AnsaldoBreda. Compared to Bombardier's other Flexity vehicles, these vehicles are not designed for streetcar operation with extensive mixed-traffic operations, although they do operate as such on a number of systems such as in London, Manchester, and Melbourne.

Technical specifications

Low-floor versions

City Operator Image Type designation Manufactured Number of
vehicles		 Length Width Weight (empty) Maximum power
Cologne, GermanyKVBK40001995–1999, 200212428.40 m (93 ft 2+1⁄8 in)2.65 m (8 ft 8+3⁄8 in)35.50 t (34.94 long tons; 39.13 short tons)4 x 120 kW (160 hp)
K45002004–20076928.50 m (93 ft 6 in)37.40 t (36.81 long tons; 41.23 short tons)
London, EnglandTfL

(Tramlink)

 CR40001998–20002430.10 m (98 ft 9 in)36.30 t (35.73 long tons; 40.01 short tons)
Istanbul, TurkeyMetro İstanbulA3220035529.70 m (97 ft 5+1⁄4 in)39.20 t (38.58 long tons; 43.21 short tons)
Karlsruhe, GermanyAVG and VBKET 2010 (Tram-train)2011–20133037 m (121 ft 4+3⁄4 in)62.5 t (61.5 long tons; 68.9 short tons)4 x 150 kW (200 hp)
Melbourne, AustraliaYarra TramsE2012–20155033.45 m (109 ft 8+7⁄8 in)62 t (61 long tons; 68 short tons)6 x 85 kW (114 hp)
E22016–202150
Minneapolis, Minnesota
(Metro Light Rail), United States		Metro TransitType 1 LRV2003–20072728.65 m (94 ft 0 in)48.50 t (47.73 long tons; 53.46 short tons)
Porto, PortugalPorto MetroTraintram20103037.07 m (121 ft 7+1⁄2 in)
RijnGouweLijn, NetherlandsNSA321999–20036(sold to Stockholm June 2010)29.70 m (97 ft 5+1⁄4 in)37.50 t (36.91 long tons; 41.34 short tons)4 x 120 kW (160 hp)
Stockholm, SwedenSL1999–200831, additionally 6 second hand

High-floor versions

City Operator Image Type designation Built in Number of vehicles Length Width Weight (empty) Maximum power
Bonn, GermanySWBK500020031528.4 m (93 ft 2+1⁄8 in)2.65 m (8 ft 8+3⁄8 in)37.80 t (37.20 long tons; 41.67 short tons)4 x 120 kW (160 hp)
Bursa, TurkeyBursarayU5-2010 Bursa2010–20113028 m (91 ft 10+3⁄8 in)38.00 t (37.40 long tons; 41.89 short tons)
Cologne, GermanyKVBK50002002–20035928.4 m (93 ft 2+1⁄8 in)37.80 t (37.20 long tons; 41.67 short tons)
K52002010–201115
2020–202120
Düsseldorf, GermanyRheinbahnHF62017–20204228 m (91 ft 10+3⁄8 in)
Frankfurt am Main, GermanyVgFU5-25 (Bi-directional)2008–20179425.02 m (82 ft 1 in)37.20 t (36.61 long tons; 41.01 short tons)4 x 130 kW (170 hp)
U5-50 (Uni-directional)13024.764 m (81 ft 3 in)36.15 t (35.58 long tons; 39.85 short tons)4 x 130 kW (170 hp)
U5-KR (non-driving) 2018– ? 22 ? ? ?
İzmir, Turkeyİzmir MetroMDOrdered 20013023.5 m (77 ft 1+1⁄4 in)32.00 t (31.49 long tons; 35.27 short tons)4 x 75 kW (101 hp)
M15
Manchester, EnglandMetrolinkM50002009–202214728.4 m (93 ft 2+1⁄8 in)39.70 t (39.07 long tons; 43.76 short tons)4 x 120 kW (160 hp)
Rotterdam, NetherlandsRETMG2/1, SG2/11998–20028130.5 m (100 ft 3⁄4 in)2.664 m (8 ft 8+7⁄8 in)44.20 t (43.50 long tons; 48.72 short tons)6 x 85 kW (114 hp)
RSG3, SG3, HSG32007–20168642 m (137 ft 9+1⁄2 in)64.30 t (63.28 long tons; 70.88 short tons)8 x 130 kW (170 hp)

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Bombardier to Supply Six Additional FLEXITY Swift Vehicles for Rotterdam". Railly News. 23 December 2015. Archived from the original on 24 December 2015. To date more than 1,000 FLEXITY Swift light rail vehicles have been sold worldwide. About 5,000 Bombardier trams and LRVs are in revenue service or on order in Europe, Asia, Australia and North America.
  2. ↑ Williams, Tony (25 October 2016). "Bombardier M5000, New Vehicles for Metrolink". Light Rail Transit Association. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  3. ↑ Light Rail Transport Association Archived 17 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine since the first on 25 June 2008.
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