Article: HeiterBlick GmbH

The first new high-floor light rail vehicle for Dortmund was enthusiastically presented on 15.12.2022: (from left) Guntram Pehlke, Chairman of the Board DSW21; Hubert Jung, Chief Transport Officer DSW21; Samuel Kermelk, Managing Director HeiterBlick; Thomas Westphal, Mayor of Dortmund and Chairman of the Supervisory Board DSW21; Alexander Ketterl, Managing Director Kiepe Electric; Ulrich Jaeger, Member of the Board DSW21, from 1.1.2023 Chief Transport Officer; Harald Kraus, Labour Director DSW21; Jörg Jacoby, Chief Financial Officer DSW21. © DSW21, Photo: Claudia Posern

DSW21 presented its premiere vehicle of the new “B-Wagen” series, which is a pioneer in energy consumption, safety and accessibility, on 15.12.2022 in Dortmund at the depot in Dorstfeld. The high-floor light rail vehicle from HeiterBlick and Kiepe Electric delivered to Dortmund at the beginning of December is the first of 26 new vehicles and 64 identically modernised vehicles from Leipzig.

With the B-car project, DSW21 demonstrated wise foresight in many respects: with the total of 90 vehicles from HeiterBlick and Kiepe Electric, DSW21 will reduce the installed heating capacity by 70 and the electricity consumption of the entire fleet by 12.5%. For this purpose, the vehicles are fitted with insulation and double glazing that is unique in Germany, thermal bridges were determined by measurement and wind and driving wind conditions were calculated. In Summer 2022, the premiere vehicle was able to prove its top heating and energy consumption values in the Climatic-Wind-Tunnel Vienna.

The B-car project is also sustainable in every respect from top to bottom, or from upper car body to bogie: for the 64 modernisation vehicles, the B80C-6 and B80C-8 vehicles of the existing fleet will be completely gutted down to the car body. The proven car bodies and bogies will be reworked, and the vehicles will then be built identically to the new vehicles: Reusability par excellence.

In terms of accessibility, DSW21 is putting another novelty on the rails: all vehicles will be equipped with kneeling technology, where vehicles can be lowered approx. 3cm on request to reduce the height difference at corresponding platforms. Significantly enlarged special use areas are accessible from all doors, optimised push buttons and high-contrast and profiled handrails: for people with limited mobility, these improvements have been coordinated with the Disability Policy Network of the City of Dortmund.

"The B-car project is one of the largest investments in the history of DSW21," explains board member Hubert Jung. "To my knowledge, there has never been a tender and order for 26 new light rail vehicles and 64 light rail vehicles to be modernised in the same way in our industry."

We are delighted to be able to implement the high-floor light rail system for DSW21, which is forward-looking in every respect.