Stadler has delivered the first of 25 TINA trams to HEAG mobilo in Darmstadt and is set to begin operations next Autumn after a period of considerable testing has been completed and will operate as the new ST15 series.

The new tram was pulled by an ST14 series tram to the depot in Kranichstein via Bismarckstrasse and Frankfurter Strasse. More of the new trams are set to arrive over the coming weeks and months.

HEAG mobilo Managing Director Ann-Kristina Natus said: “I am delighted to finally be able to take delivery of the first tram in the new series. Now the commissioning phase will begin: To prepare the tram for homologation by the technical supervisory authority, many test runs and measurements are carried out. We are also holding training courses for our driving staff and employees from the driving school, the workshop and the traffic control centre so that they will be ready to use the TINA trams,”

Dirk Schillings, Chief Technical Officer for Light Rail Vehicles at Stadler said: “Today we are celebrating an important milestone for our latest generation of trams. We are pleased that following factory acceptance, the first TINA vehicle is now starting the test phase for the first time on Darmstadt’s rail network. We are convinced that the new low-floor vehicles will meet the high demands of passengers as well as of HEAG mobilo.”

The new trams will provide a new experience for passengers in Darmstadt and the Darmstadt-Dieburg district from the autumn of next year with the entire new fleet set to be in operation by summer 2024.

Michael Kolmer, Head of Transport in Darmstadt, the city of science, said: “Public transport as a sustainable and ecological means of transport must not only be further expanded and strengthened, as, through our new line concepts, it must also be modern and attractive. I am looking forward to the first journey on TINA,”

Further to the 25 trams ordered by HEAG mobilo for Darmstadt, Stadler will also supply a further 25 TINA trams to Baselland Transport AG, 28 TINA trams to Rostocker Strassenbahn AG and 56 TINA trams to Hallesche Verkehrs AG.

November 2022 saw the Dutch HTM reveal an order for 50 TINA trams with additional options from Stadler who have seen a great deal of success over a short period due to the vehicle’s innovative concept meeting customer requirements.

The TINA tram family provides excellent flexibility as well as a high degree of standardisation.

TINA stands for “Total Integrated Low-Floor Drive” in German and uses the latest designed, patent-pending bogie which is suitable for a large number of vehicle types and requirements, offering a solution for all tram concepts including:

• Axle drive
• Independent wheels
• Rotating or non-rotating bogies
• Different track gauges
• Various vehicle widths.

Further benefits of the TINA are its completely continuous low floor which is recognised for its spacious, wide aisles, generous foot and leg room, panoramic windows, multi-functional panels alongside a new design which has been adapted to support passengers’ needs. The optimised passenger compartment provides unrestricted access to seating via all vehicle doors.

Customers can also request small steps to be fitted in place of ramps as HEAG mobilo GmbH has done. The trams also score points for their optimised drive system, low vehicle weight and optional use of waste heat from the engine all of which support energy efficiency.