Vienna tests energy saving tram

Vienna public transport operator Wiener Linien is testing an energy saving tram, the EcoTram, using it in daily operation until May 2014. The tram is part of a bigger project to make public transport vehicles more energy efficient. A Siemens ultra low floor tram has been equipped with intelligent control units that predict whether cooling or heating will be required. If the tram enters a tunnel where the ambient temperature is cooler, the air-conditioning will be turned down. The units control three air
August 21, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
Vienna EcoTram
Vienna public transport operator 4203 Wiener Linien is testing an energy saving tram, the EcoTram, using it in daily operation until May 2014. The tram is part of a bigger project to make public transport vehicles more energy efficient.

A 189 Siemens ultra low floor tram has been equipped with intelligent control units that predict whether cooling or heating will be required. If the tram enters a tunnel where the ambient temperature is cooler, the air-conditioning will be turned down. The units control three air-conditioning units with heat pumps, a variable-frequency compressor and CO2 sensors. According to Siemens, the tram could offer annual savings of up to 3,000 MWh for tram operator Wiener Linien.

The EcoTram project has been running since 2009, supported by the Climate and Energy Fund of the Austrian Research Promotion Agency as part of its New Energies 2020 programme.

Other project partners include the Automation and Control Institute at Technische Universität Wien, which has developed the control software; Rail Tec Arsenal, which has manufactured the measuring technology; and Vossloh Kiepe, which has supplied the heating and air-conditioning units. Consulting firm SCHIG mbH is the project manager.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • NOCoE delivers data for diligent DOTs
    April 29, 2015
    David Crawford talks to Dennis Motiani about the role of the new National Operations Centre of Excellence. Consolidating the collective experience of the US transportation system’s management and operations (TSM&O) community, streamlining its information gathering, while cutting research times and costs are the key drivers behind the country’s new National Operations Centre of Excellence (NOCoE). Launched in January at the annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board (TRB), this sets out to be a sin
    Read More
  • Jenoptik aims for smart sustainability
    March 7, 2022
    Jenoptik will be at Intertraffic to highlight that it provides innovative and sustainable smart mobility solutions, including technology and services for road safety, public security, and road user charging. Visitors will be able to experience the company’s brand-new video-based camera family covering a wide range of applications in road safety, civil security and commercial use.
    Read More
  • Urban takes IoT Control
    April 27, 2022
    Urban Node 324 Cellular 'works straight out-of-the-box just like a smartphone'
    Read More
  • Hyperloop could create $10bn supply chain manufacturing ecosystem
    October 4, 2018
    Hyperloop has the potential to create a $10 billion supply chain manufacturing ecosystem in the Middle East, says Virgin Hyperloop One. The company says it could also improve safety, decrease pollution and reduce congestion, and adds that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are well-placed to benefit from disruptive technologies in transportation, with governments from both countries exploring autonomous pods, driverless cars and flying taxis. Amjad Almkhalalati, director
    Read More

Highlighted Content