The Flexity 2 is a family of tram or light rail vehicle manufactured by Bombardier Transportation (now Alstom). It is 100% low-floor, in order to easily accommodate wheelchairs and pushchairs. The trams are bi-directional, with cabs at both ends and doors on both sides, and are articulated with five or seven sections. This family of trams debuted on the Blackpool Tramway, England.
Introduction The Flexity 2 is an evolution of Bombardier's successful Flexity family of LRVs and is designed to be highly customisable. It incorporates a number of significant advances over its predecessor including improved corrosion resistance, enhanced safety through a redesigned cab with improved impact protection, improved energy efficiency through the inclusion of cells to store energy temporarily after braking which achieves double the energy saving of feeding it back through the wires, reduced mass, optional support for its Primove under track power transmission system and the new Flexx Urban 3000 bogie which allows the LRV to run on more conventional wheelsets. The vehicle also features improved air-conditioning and a wider more spacious interior via the reduction in the width of its sidewalls allowing more seating or other uses. These changes have resulted in a very slight increase in axle load, although Bombardier says this does not limit the operational capabilities of the vehicle.
The launch customer was Blackpool Transport which ordered 16 units in July 2009 to replace its tourist-focused and high-maintenance heritage fleet with a new vehicle suitable for daily commuters. The worldwide launch of the tram, including showing the first new tram arrived on 8 September 2011, at the new Starr Gate depot in Blackpool.Blackpool supertram is here! Blackpool Gazette 8 September 2011
Additional orders came from G:link ordering 23 for operation on the Gold Coast, Australia, Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe ordering 60 for Basel, Switzerland, De Lijn ordering in total 88 for Antwerp and Ghent, Belgium, and SND ordering 18 for Suzhou New District, Suzhou, China (which were built by CRRC Nanjing Puzhen under a Bombardier technology licence agreement).
Technical specifications City Operator Type designation Built in Number of vehicles Articulated Sections Track gauge Length Width Height Maximum power Maximum speed Catenary line voltage Blackpool, England Blackpool Transport Flexity 2 (Blackpool) 2010–2012, 2017 18 5 Standard () Gold Coast, Australia G:link Flexity 2 2013–2014, 2017, 2023 23 7 Bombardier to supply LRVs for Gold Coast Rapid Transit Rail Express 15 June 2011Gold Coast takes delivery of more new trams Global Rail News 12 November 2013 Basel, Switzerland Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe Flexity 2 2014–2017 44 (seven section) 17 (five section) 5/7 Metre () / 650 V DC BVB buy 60 "Flexity Basel" Bombardier gahnonline.ch 15 October 2012 Antwerp and Ghent, Belgium De Lijn Albatross 2014–2016 38 (five section) 50 (seven section) / 600 V DC De Lijn orders Flexity 2 trams for Antwerpen and Gent Railway Gazette International 7 August 2012Bombardier to Supply 40 Additional FLEXITY 2 Trams to Belgian Transport Agency De Lijn Bombardier 2 June 2015 Suzhou New District, Suzhou, China Suzhou Tram Flexity 2 2015 18 5 Standard () 750 V DC Bombardier Partner CSR Puzhen Wins Order for Low-Floor Trams in China Bombardier Transportation 10 January 2013Work starts on China's first modern tram line in Suzhou City of Suzhou 13 September 2012 Melbourne, Australia Yarra Trams G 2022– 100 3 colspan="2" 420 kW (560 hp) 80 km/h (50 mph) 600 V DC
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References
External links Bombardier Transportation Flexity 2