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A GBP 17 million investment will bring eight new high floor FLEXITY Swift trams to Metrolink during 2009. GMPTE announced this order in April 2007; in the near future they expect to be able to order at least 28 more for the Phase 3a extensions. The four new trams for Cornbrook — Mediacity:UK were announced in November 2007.
Canadian transport company Bombardier will design and manufacture the trams at its sites in Bautzen in Germany and Vienna in Austria. Electrical equipment will be provided by Vossloh Kiepe.
Metrolink’s new units will be similar to the K5000 model used in Cologne and Bonn, Germany. These high floor cars are based on the modular manufacturing and the proven components of the Bombardier low-floor vehicles previously delivered to Cologne. Croydon Tramlink uses low floor FLEXITY Swift trams.
The new trams will be double ended, 28.4 metres long, articulated units. Up to 200 passengers will be able to travel on each tram, which will have four wide double doors per side. This will make it easy for people with wheelchairs or child buggies to get on and off them.
Metrolink has 32 trams at present. The eight new units for phase 1 & 2 will allow more double trams to be run during peak times. Services on the Bury and Altrincham lines will continue to run every 6 minutes during the day, from Monday to Saturday, and every 12 minutes at most other times.
The other four extra trams will allow a new 12–minute service between Cornbrook and Mediacity:uk. A 12–minute service will also continue to run between Manchester Piccadilly and Eccles. There will then be a 6–minute interval service between Cornbrook and Harbour City
Cologne — FLEXITY Swift K5000
Here are two pictures and some more information about the Cologne high floor trams. Metrolink’s new units will be similar but not exactly the same.
 | Exterior view at a stop. The Cologne units are used on the north–south high platform routes. Bonn also has 15 units which are used on joint lines with Cologne. |
 | Interior view Showing the wheelchair / baby buggy space The seating layout in Manchester may be different from this one |
Thanks to Bombardier and GMPTE for the pictures | |
| Facts & Figures | |
|---|---|
| Length of Tram | 28.4m |
| Width of Tram | 2.65m |
| Doorways | 4 per side |
| Doorway width | 1.3m |
| Seating capacity | 62 |
| Standing | 115 at 4 per square metre |
| Unpowered bogie | Centre |
| Powered bogies | Outer — each has two 120 kW, three–phase ac motors |
| Maximum speed | 80km/h (50mph) |
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This page was written by Tony Williams, Manchester Area Officer, Light Rail Transit Association. Contact manwebm@lrta.org if you have any comments, ideas or suggestions about these pages.