KONČAR Group
A Reliable Partner in Sustainable Rail Solutions
This article first appeared in the Railway-News magazine, Issue 3 2022.
KONČAR is a renowned company in power engineering and the rail solutions industry and operates in the fields of power generation, transmission and distribution, rail vehicles and infrastructure, digital solutions and platforms, with a focus on proprietary development and innovation, as well as laboratory testing and certification.
In 2021, KONČAR celebrated a century of excellence and a century of operations across 130 markets worldwide.
Widely recognised in the power engineering sector, the name KONČAR is also a global synonym for tradition, trust, expertise, innovation and cutting-edge technology rail solutions.
Following a successful longstanding co-operation with the domestic transit company Zagreb Electric Tram, KONČAR has won an export agreement with the city of Liepaja in Latvia, delivering trams for public urban passenger transport to the Baltic coastal city. KONČAR’s wealth of experience in the development of technical solutions for 100 percent low-floor trams and low-floor electric motor and diesel-electric trains was the key capability recognised by the customer.
The co-operation with the Latvian customer commenced in November 2018, when an agreement was signed for the delivery of six low-floor trams, while the second agreement, for another batch of six trams, was signed in August 2020. It is significant to point out that 85% of the purchase value of the vehicles was co-funded by the EU as part of the Comprehensive Reconstruction of Tram Route and Adjacent Territory programme. Liepājas Tramvajs subsequently provided funds for two additional trams, and once again entrusted KONČAR with the construction and delivery of the units.
The trams boast a variety of KONČAR’s proprietary solutions for key sub-systems, such as the main electric drive, auxiliary power supply systems, control and communication systems, steel structures for driving wheel sets, bogies and the like. They are based on modern technical solutions and design; they are air-conditioned, equipped with video surveillance and a passenger announcement system. The vehicles are also equipped with a controlled hydro-pneumatic suspension system, which enables the floor height to be adjusted to the track conditions. This is a fully low-floor vehicle, without steps and with a flat floor along the entire length of the passenger compartment, which is particularly important for public transport users with mobility difficulties and parents with strollers.
