The HÜBNER Group can point to four new projects where its new shock-absorbing system for tram front ends will be coming into use:
The bus and rail industry supplier will be equipping new trams in Brussels, Warsaw, Dortmund and Dresden with its innovative shock-absorbing system for tram front ends. “Particularly in large cities the risk of accidents increases close to tram stops and at rail crossings. For just that reason our tram front ends combine passive pedestrian protection with modern vehicle design,” explains HÜBNER General Manager Ingolf Cedra.
Warsaw: Project with Hyuandai Rotem
In Warsaw, Poland, the HÜBNER Group is working together for the first time with the South Korean manufacturer Hyuandai Rotem, which in turn is making the choice for front end systems made with polyurethane foam (PUR foam) for the first time. “Polyurethane has many advantages,” says Cedra. “The material does not splinter. In the event of a collision, it deforms on impact and then in a short time returns to its original shape.”
Brussels and Dresden: Orders from Bombardier Vienna
In Brussels, Belgium, as well as in Dresden, Germany, the HÜBNER Group has received orders from Bombardier. The tram project in Brussels in particular is a prestigious undertaking. The interior and exterior design for the vehicles comes from the renowned Belgian design agency Yellow Window. The design should give passengers a new sense of space and a feeling of quality. This will involve leather seats and wood paneling, for example, and a traditional three-color paint job in gold, silver and black, which will be prepared by the HÜBNER Group.
In the past HÜBNER already supplied the front bumpers for the so-called Coast Tram, a tram service that runs along the Belgian coast from France to the Netherlands. For this line, Yellow Window created the term “Soft Nose”.
In Dresden, the trams have been running with polyurethane front ends made by HÜBNER since the 1990s. The new order will be handled at the Bombardier production facility in nearby Bautzen, Germany. “We were able to get the order from Bombardier especially because of the materials we’ve developed,” says Cedra. “We are the first manufacturer worldwide to supply tram front ends in a form that fulfills the specifications of the new fire safety standard EN 45545 that applies throughout Europe.”
In Dortmund, the HÜBNER Group will not only equip 24 new vehicles with 3P Front End systems for the company Heiterblick, but will also provide new front assemblies for 64 old vehicles from the fleet. With this refurbishment, the older vehicles will be made ready for further years of service.
This article was originally published by HÜBNER.
