A modern maintenance tram will be purchased for the maintenance of the tramways of Tallinn
Tallinna Linnatransport announced an international tender for the acquisition of a modern maintenance tram, which would be able to ensure the current level of maintenance while also taking into account the increased needs of developing and increasingly modern tram traffic in Tallinn.
According to Kaido Padari, a member of the management board of TLT, the announcement of the procurement of a new maintenance tram was prompted by the situation where the tram network of the capital is expanding to the old port, and the new CAF trams acquired in recent years will be joined by state-of-the-art PESA trams in the coming years. “We found it essential to ensure a completely new level in the maintenance of tramways, both in the quality and passability of the tracks, as well as in the routine inspection of contact lines and the implementation of winter anti-icing measures. The prerequisite for achieving the goal is only the application of modern, reliable technology that meets all international standards, which is also enabled by the procurement of a new maintenance tram. At this point, it is worth noting that the construction of a special-purpose tram is based on the technical conditions set by us and takes into account the width of the Tallinn railway track, 1067 mm, which differs from the standard used elsewhere. So, in the form of the service tram to be procured, it is not a line product, but a unique example offering a well-considered functional solution,” explained Padar.
The new maintenance tram will polish the rails to smooth their surface, which becomes wavy due to heavy traffic. In winter, the tram clears the tracks of snow and removes the ice accumulated in the rails with the help of special scrapers. When the temperature drops below the freezing point, the contact line is coated with an anti-icing agent using a specially designed pantograph roller, which prevents the formation of ice on the contact line, thus preventing possible stoppages in tram traffic.
“We have entered a development phase with the company, the goal of which is to make the public transport of the capital even more reliable and passenger-friendly than before, and the new special-purpose maintenance tram is an important tool in achieving a modern service level, bringing our track maintenance to today and solving several challenges related to the efficiency and speed of infrastructure maintenance,” Padar explained the purchase of the maintenance tram purposefulness.
