New trams for Ostrava

A brand-new type of tram has been designed specially for Ostrava, and production of the first tram in the series is currently nearing completion. Made by Swiss company Stadler, the new tram (designated as the Tango NF2 nOVA) has been specially developed to meet the Ostrava’s needs. In mid-April the tram will arrive in the Czech Republic, where it will undergo the necessary static and dynamic testing in order to gain official approval for use. The tram will offer high levels of passenger comfort, including USB slots for phone charging and full wi-fi coverage.

Forty of the new trams are being produced for Ostrava at the Stadler Poland plant in Siedlce near Warsaw. All the vehicles will be completed and handed over to the Ostrava public transport corporation by June 2019, but the first of the new trams will come into service much earlier – in August 2018.

The special new trams are based on the company’s successful TANGO model, and they were designed by Czech engineers from Stadler’s Prague studio. They have a modular structure, an ergonomic driver cabin, and full air conditioning. The rotary chassis with a flexible frame enables the vehicle to travel with maximum smoothness, keeping noise levels to a minimum even at higher speeds. The entire tram has a low floor, and it is fully adapted for use by passengers with restricted mobility. The tram meets all applicable EU safety standards, and its shape has been optimized to maximize pedestrian protection in the event of a collision.

The first “nOVA” tram will begin trial operation in Ostrava’s streets during April of this year. During this phase it will not carry passengers; the trial will first need to thoroughly test the vehicle’s performance and technical parameters. When the first phase is completed, the trams will be trialled with passengers.

The “nOVA” trams are 24.9 metres long, 2.5 metres wide and 3.6 metres high. They can carry up to 188 passengers (61 seated). The entire floor is a low-level flat structure (i.e. there are no steps inside the tram), and each tram has four wide doors enabling passengers to enter and leave the tram quickly and easily; there are also ramps for wheelchair access. The trams will reach a maximum speed of 80 km/h.