Stadler, the Swiss rolling stock manufacturer, has revealed two new designs for the Balkan market at the 15th International Rail Fair TRAKO in Gdańsk, Poland.
The TANGO NF3 is a new, purpose-built tram for the city of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina. It is Stadler’s first contract in the country and the company said it marked progress in its Balkan operations.
Sarajevo has had a tram system since the late 19th century, but Stadler said the new rolling stock will play “an important role in promoting a sustainable, accessible and modern public transport system for Sarajevo”.
The 31m-long trams will have a capacity of 180 passengers, with 79 seats in each unit.
In a prepared statement, Stadler said: “Stadler's engineers put an emphasis on functionality and modern layout when designing the TANGO NF3 tram for Sarajevo. They have developed a tram that ensures that the travel experience for both passengers and the crew is highly comfortable while maintaining low operating costs.
“Pivoting bogies with a flexible frame ensures the smooth running of the vehicle and the arrangement of the doors enables passengers to get on and off quickly and easily.”
The project has been funded by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank.
Alongside the new tram unit, Stadler showed a new version of its popular FLIRT train, a regional-use EMU.
The Swiss company has supplied Serbian Railways with rolling stock since 2014 and will continue to deliver EMUs and high-speed locomotives to Serbia thanks to a 2021 contract extension.
