The acquisition of second-hand low-floor trams from Halle/ Salle or the Rhein-Neckar region is a possibility to modernise the moving stock of MPK Lodz I © UTM
The Polish city of Łódź plans to restore its cable car fleet in the short term with pre-owned vehicles from Germany. The emphasis is on MGT 6 D trams from Halle/Saale and 6 MGT cable cars from the Rhine-Neckar area, which are presently being changed by new vehicles there. The factor for this is the postponed purchase of new cars, in particular the Moderus Gamma trams, whose financing has just recently stalled.
In December 2024, Łódź bought 30 added Moderus Gamma buses from Modertrans Poznań, separated into an assured standard distribution of 15 vehicles and an option for a more 15 units. Nonetheless, at the beginning of 2025, it became recognized that a lending intended for this function would certainly not be approved which financing from the Polish KPO program (the national restoration plan with EU funds) was not fully safeguarded. The distribution of further lorries is consequently uncertain.
As the older Konstal high-floor cable cars of the 805 Na kind are to be secured of solution in the coming years, the metropolitan transport company MPK Łódź is searching for short-term solutions. Presently, there are still around 200 lorries of the 805 Na key in solution in different modernised variations.
Given that 2017, the city has been making use of 34 used MGT 6 D automobiles that were obtained from Bochum and Gelsenkirchen. One more 10 GT 6 M cars from Jena followed in 2023– 2024 These low-floor automobiles have shown themselves in day-to-day procedure and are approved by travelers and staff alike. Structure on this experience, Łódź is currently taking into consideration the procurement of further used low-floor vehicles from Germany.
Primarily, these are MGT 6 D units from Halle (Saale), where the vehicles are presently being secured of solution.
The MGT 6 D is a three-car articulated tram with about 65 % low-floor area, constructed from 1996 onwards by Duewag, Siemens and ADtranz. Technically, the automobiles are mostly identical to the NF 6 D designs currently in use in Bochum, which helps with procedure, upkeep and extra components supply. There are presently as much as 50 cable cars of this kind offered in Halle.
One benefit of this remedy is its rapid accessibility: the cars could be obtained, adapted and taken into service fairly rapidly. At the very same time, there are also challenges, such as required technological adjustments, especially to the framework and bogies, as these currently had to be revamped on the Bochum automobiles as a result of breaking.
If the requisition proceeds, the MGT 6 D automobiles could function as an important bridge till brand-new automobiles such as the Moderus Gamma are provided. A phased solution– as an example, the short-term procurement of 20 to 30 made use of MGT 6 D vehicles supplemented by the 15 Gamma trams currently ordered– would be a sensible method for Łódź to stabilise its lorry fleet.
Also curious about 6 MGT from Mannheim
At the exact same time, MPK is likewise looking into the opportunity of obtaining the roughly 30 -year-old Duewag 6 MGT from the RNV area (Mannheim/Ludwigshafen). The vehicles were developed by DUEWAG/ABB in 1994/ 95 and are around 29 metres long with a low-floor area of around 70 %. Rhein-Neckar-Verkehr (RNV) still operates simply under 50 of these autos.
At the same time, MPK is bewaring: it wishes to prevent blunders made with previous imports– for example, the Variobahnen trains from Helsinki, which were examined in operation but ultimately not accepted as a result of a lack of extra parts.
Because of this, the MGT 6 D from Halle are especially fascinating, as lots of spare components would certainly correspond those of the NF 6 D from Bochum.
The expense contrast highlights the allure of the utilized automobile design. While a new low-floor car costs between PLN 12 and 15 million (approx. EUR 2 8 to 3 5 million), the acquisition cost for pre-owned automobiles ranges between PLN 130, 000 and 250, 000 (approx. EUR 30, 000 to 60,000 Added to this is around PLN 250, 000 (approx. EUR 60, 000 for adaptation and modernisation– a fraction of the financial investment required for a brand-new automobile.
This method is not new in Łódź: because 1990, used cars from Germany and Austria have been acquired on a regular basis. In the last few years, MPK has actually currently integrated 18 Duewag M 8 CN, 35 Siemens NF 6 D and 10 AEG GT 6 M-ZR cars right into its fleet, several of which have actually been thoroughly modernised. Much of these lorries supply a high or full low-floor section, thereby adding dramatically to accessibility within the network.
For MPK Łódź, the acquisition of utilized cable cars continues to be a vital element in producing higher comfort and ability in the short term. Whether the choice falls on the 6 MGT from Mannheim or the MGT 6 D from Halle will certainly be chosen in the coming months. One thing is clear, nevertheless: without this pragmatic acting option, it would be virtually difficult to replace the aging fleet of Konstal trams in the direct future.
20 08 2025