TW 6000

The TW 6000 is a type of articulated light rail vehicle used on the Hanover Stadtbahn system, originally manufactured by Düwag, AEG, Kiepe and Siemens, the later batches being built by LHB (now part of Alstom).

The vehicle can serve both high platforms and street-level stops; it has cabs at both ends, thus eliminating the need for turning loops. It was unique in Germany at the time for featuring thyristor chopper control and a contemporary design by Prof. Herbert Lindinger.

A total number of 260 were built from 1974 to 1993, of which the first series of 100 was built by Düwag in Düsseldorf from 1974 to 1978, whilst the second to eighth series (160 in total) were built by LHB in Salzgitter from 1979 to 1993. From 2002 on, 82 units were sold to Budapest, Hungary and Den Haag, The Netherlands.

Technical parameters

A single unit has a length of 28.28 meters and a width of 2.4 meters, thus significantly increasing capacity compared to its predecessors. Up to 150 passengers can fit into a single car; in normal operations, two cars operate coupled together. The maximum speed is rated at 80 km/h, however it is not possible to sustain this speed on the Hanover network, so the "de facto" maximum speed is 70 km/h. The two DC motors are rated at 218 kW at 600 V each and can draw a maximum current of 900 A.

Cars 6206-6260 are microprocessor controlled, using an Intel 8085 and GTO thyristors.

Series delivered

The following TW 6000 series were delivered:

The lead of the consortium changed over to LHB after the first series due to political lobbying, as subsidies provided by the state of Lower Saxony were spent on the project, LHB (which is based in Salzgitter) was favoured over the out-of-state Düwag (with their operations in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia).

Cab controls

All TW6000s driven (from the cab, of course) using an integral traction/braking with a deadman's trigger that drivers must depress to mobilise the vehicle, if released while moving, first it (the warning system) beeps, then the track brakes are applied.

Changes in Series 2

* New floors, lacking the Series 1 furrows
* Smaller stop buttons and warning lights, partly retrofit to Series 1 from 3/81 to 5/85, completely retrofit to Series 1 from 10/88 to 11/92
* Destination indicator inside the Stadtbahn vehicle
* Wiper moved to the right
* Automatic adjustment of couplers after decoupling
* Additional brake resistor on the roof
* Preparations to add additional seats at the middle door (was never carried out)

Changes in Series 3

* IBIS equipment delivered ex factory, retrofit to Series 1 and 2 vehicles until 1987
* Mandatory selection of "steps high" and "steps low" setting before doors can be opened, retrofit to all prior vehicles

Changes in Series 4

* Skylight windows on one side only
* GTO chopper control with 8085 microprocessor
* Fire protection (tested on 6147 from January 1987):
** new sheet metal roof in the passenger compartment
** plastic light covers replaced by steel lamellas
** roof and side handles in joint area replaced with cast plastic handle
* Additional tail lights

Changes in Series 5

* Adjusted size of door windows
* Wider door seals

Changes in Series 6

* Double doors without handrail in the midsection, new lock mechanism (tested on 6083, partly retrofit to older vehicles)

TW 6000 abroad

Houten

Two TW 6000 units were lent to operate on a small NS line in Houten, The Netherlands, connecting Houten station with the new station Houten Castellum.

The Hague

Eight TW 6000 units were sold to HTM, the public transport operator of The Hague, where they were in service on line 11 to Scheveningen and at this moment stored at Depot Lijsterbes.

Budapest

A number of TW 6000 units have been sold to BKV (Budapesti Közlekedési Rt.), the public transport company of Budapest. They were repainted into an orange livery (earning the nickname "banana" for having arrived green and consumed yellow). They were retrofitted with windows that can slide open in large part to better adjust to hotter continental summers. Their extremely quiet run is well-noted among Budapest residents, used to HEAR soviet-block trams, but lack of high-floor station platforms means elderly and moms with kids must climb up and down the TW 6000's doorwell.