Streetcar Named Swing:Object of Desire

The Warsaw Voice

http://www.warsawvoice.pl/WVpageTest/pages/article.php/22661/article#

Swing trams manufactured by the PESA rolling stock company in the northern city of Bydgoszcz have a chance to become a flagship Polish export. The trams stole the show at the recent InnoTrans trade fair for rail transport technology in Berlin, according to Polish free daily newspaper Metro. The trams attracted huge interest not only from experts and transport companies but also local governments responsible for buying means of public transportation for their cities.

PESA has signed its first foreign contractai??i??for the delivery of nine trams to the Hungarian city of Szeged. The trams, to be called Csardas, will be delivered by September next year. There is every indication that another Hungarian city will order Swing trams from PESA. Two Turkish cities are also seriously interested in buying them.

The Swing is a wheelchair-accessible air-conditioned tram with many modern features for higher travel comfort and easier maintenance work. Travel comfort is ensured by a two-level spring suspension system. The driverai??i??s cabin is ergonomic and ensures comfortable working conditions while the online diagnostics system makes it possible to monitor the fleetai??i??s work in real time. Thanks to its modular design, the tram may be configured to meet the customerai??i??s specific requirements. Depending on the operatorai??i??s transport needs, PESA offers trams composed of three, five or seven sections, including a bi-directional version. The trams can run on tracks with a gauge of 1,435 and 1,000 millimeters.

The Swings have already gained popularity on the Polish market. Last year, PESA won the largest contract on the European tram marketai??i??for the delivery of 186 trams for Warsaw. Thirty-three Swing trams are expected to be delivered to the city by the end of the year. Their number will rise to 120 by the time the Euro 2012 soccer tournament begins in Poland. The coastal city of GdaAi??ai??zsk has also ordered 35 Swing trams.