- Flexity Outlook
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The Flexity Outlook is a family of 100% low-floor articulated light-rail trams manufactured by Bombardier Transportation. Part of the larger Flexity product line (many of which are not 100% low-floor), Flexity Outlook cars fall into two distinct sub-categories with dramatically different appearances. Their designs are modular in nature, permitting a broad range of opportunities to customize vehicles to suit local technical needs or aesthetic proclivities.
Contents
Eurotram
The Eurotram was first used in Strasbourg
The Eurotram is based on a design by Socimi (Milan, Italy) and manufactured by ABB (later Adtranz and Bombardier) at former BREL sites in York and Derby in the UK.[1] with some parts from ABB Trazione (Italy).[2] Units built for the Porto network were constructed at Bombardier's factory in Amadora Portugal.[3]
Its modern design makes it look as much like a train as a tram, and has large windows along its entire length.
Over 150 units have been built between 1994 and 2004 most of BoBo2Bo wheel arrangement, the remainder have BoBoBo2Bo wheel arrangement. It is used on the Strasbourg tramway, in Milan on the Azienda Trasporti Milanesi, and on the Porto Metro.[4]
The design was acquired by Bombardier when they took over Adtranz. In 2003 the design was taken on a marketing tour of Australia, with Porto tram number 018 shortened by 2 modules and put on display in Sydney on the Metro Light Rail.[5] It was then taken to Melbourne where it operated on the local tram network between January and March 2003 as a 7 section tram.[6]
Cityrunner
Cityrunner in Łódź, PolandThe more common Cityrunner, which has a more traditional tram design, is used by several cities in Austria (in Innsbruck, Linz and Graz), also Łódź (Poland), Geneva (Switzerland), Eskişehir (Turkey), and Brussels, and vehicles for Marseille, Valencia, Alicante and Toronto are in the design and production phase. The Toronto Transit Commission (Canada) has also selected it for upgrading its current fleet, with possible use for the Transit City plan as well.[7][8]
Both models have 100% low floors. While most Flexity Outlook trams are bi-directional, the Toronto cars will be single-ended in order to meet the operating requirements of that city's legacy streetcar routes. Bombardier has built single-ended Flexity Outlook versions for cities including Graz, Łódź and Milan. They follow a modular design, allowing them to be customised for use on networks that require narrow vehicles or uniquely tight curve radii, down to 11.6 metres (38 ft) in the case of Toronto. Toronto's version of the Outlook will be gauged to fit its legacy streetcar lines, with a track width of 149.5 cm, or 4 ft 10 7⁄8 in.
The Flexity Outlook's closest competitors are the Citadis from Alstom, the Combino and S70 from Siemens, and Bombardier's other Flexity trams.
Vancouver demonstration line
Bombardier Transportation operated a Flexity Outlook demo system in Vancouver from January 21 to March 21, 2010, coinciding with the 2010 Winter Olympics. It was called the Olympic Line and used electrified railway right-of-way owned by the City of Vancouver and not part of the regional transit authority (TransLink).
The temporary line operated from Granville Island to the Olympic Village Canada Line Station at 2nd Avenue. Service consisted of a 1.8-kilometre (1.1 mi) link with two stations, with cars operating every 10 minutes.
See also
- Flexity Outlook (Toronto LRT car)
References
- ^ C.J. Wansbeek (March 2003). "Strasbourg: Interurban tram strategy strengthens city system". Tramways & Urban Transit. http://www.euromedtransport.org/fileadmin/download/InfrastructureEvents/23_Strasbourg_Tram.pdf.
- ^ Applicability of low-floor light rail vehicles in North America. National Research Council (U.S.). Transportation Research Board, Booz, Allen & Hamilton. 1995. pp. 28, 31,34–5,41–3,54. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=aJnm7jjYd9sC&q=eurotram#v=snippet&q=eurotram&f=false.
- ^ "Metro do Porto Light Rail, Portugal". www.railway-technology.com. Rolling Stock. http://www.railway-technology.com/projects/metro_porto/.
- ^ Traction Ferroviaire: Les Tramways; Caracteristiques de Materiels Roulants. Ed. Techniques Ingénieur. pp. 7–8. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=qPkljjjgutMC&lpg=PA7&vq=eurotram&pg=PA7#v=onepage&q&f=false.
- ^ "Bombardier Eurotram Exhibition, Sydney". www.sleeper.apana.org.au. http://www.sleeper.apana.org.au/railway/slr/images/Eurotram_Expo/. Retrieved 2008-07-18.
- ^ "VICSIG - Trams: Eurotram in Melbourne". www.vicsig.net. http://www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=trams&event=Eurotram%20in%20Melbourne. Retrieved 2008-07-18.
- ^ Kalinowski, Tess (2009-04-24). "TTC picks Bombardier". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 2009-05-01. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thestar.com%2Fnews%2Fgta%2Farticle%2F623916&date=2009-05-01.
- ^ Tess Kalinowski (2009-04-28). "A streetcar named Inspire?". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 2009-05-01. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thestar.com%2FNews%2FGTA%2Farticle%2F625680&date=2009-05-01.
External links
Flexity trams Flexity 2 • Flexity Classic • Flexity Outlook (Toronto) • Flexity Swift • Flexity Link • Flexity BerlinCategories:- Tram vehicles of Austria
- Tram vehicles of Belgium
- Tram vehicles of France
- Tram vehicles of Italy
- Tram vehicles of Poland
- Tram vehicles of Portugal
- Tram vehicles of Spain
- Tram vehicles of Switzerland
- Bombardier tram vehicles
- Articulated passenger trains
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