The Skoda Transport Group has won a contract to provide the city of Bonn with 26 ForCity Smart Trams. The contract also includes 25 year exclusivity for spare parts and an option to buy 12 more units. If all options were filled, the contract would be worth approximately 4 billion Crowns. The first trams should be seen in Bonn in 2022. The contract confirms the Skoda Transport Group’s strategy of building a solid reputation in Western Europe according to Petr Brzezina, Chairman of the group.
The transportation company will enjoy the low maintenance needs of the Skoda ForCity Smart tram platform said Michal Tobrman, the spokesman for the group. The 30 metre long, three-part sliding chassis, low-floor trams carry up to 180 passengers. They include all the modern needs for today’s world like places for bikes, wheelchairs and strollers or no-barrier entry. The cars will be outfitted with cameras to help fight vandalism.
The Executive Director of the Bonn Transportation Company said that the new contract will drastically reduce the operating costs of the trams and increase the comfort to the passengers. Bonn will be the fifth German city to be supplied new trams by Skoda Transport in coming years.
