• Energy efficiency, reduced life cycle costs and increased availability
• The successful operation of the current fleet further assisted in securing this order
• A total of 70 Artic trams will be operating with electrical drive systems from Voith, by 2019

Helsinki/St. Pölten. Transtech Oy, the Finnish rail vehicle supplier and part of the Skoda Transportation Group, relies on Voith Digital Solutions Austria's electric drive system for an additional ten ForCity Smart Artic low-floor trams. The drive systems from St. Pölten have proven themselves in the existing Helsinki trams with an availability rate of more than 99 percent, after having driven more than 2.2 million kilometers.

Transtech Oy commissioned the first 40 low-floor trams with an electric drive system from Voith, during the latter part of 2017. An additional 20 vehicles are scheduled for delivery. The delivery of the new series is scheduled to take place during 2019 with the last orders arriving by mid-2019. The scope of supply and services provided by Voith remains unchanged from the vehicles that have already been delivered. The package includes the entire drive system including traction inverters, drive motors, final drives and complete wheelsets, as well as parts of the vehicle control such as diagnostic and monitoring system.

The Artic© low-floor tram achieves low-floor configuration despite a freely pivoting bogie. A separate motor-gear unit with a continuous output of 65 kW drives each of the eight axles of the 27.6 m long vehicle. The traction motors receive their input power via two EmCon double traction inverters with a continuous output of 2 x 220 kVA each. The integrated drive control ensures excellent control and optimum coordination of the components of the drive system. This affects important parameters of the rail vehicle, such as safety, energy efficiency and the vehicle’s lifespan.

"The specifications to be met by trams in the Finnish capital are especially stringent due to the challenging weather conditions and the knock-on affects of the transport network", explains Alfred Gmeiner-Ghali, Vice President Sales & Marketing at Voith Digital Solutions Austria. "Alongside maximum driving comfort and minimal running costs, the particular robustness of the vehicle coupled with their reliable traction system were the decisive factors in awarding us the order for our electrical drive systems. We are delighted about this follow-up order and regard it as confirmation of our successful collaboration to date with Transtech Oy”.

Further information about our drive systems can be found on:
https://voith.com/corp-en/electrics-electronics-controls/traction-inverter.html

About the company
Voith Digital Solutions bundles Voith’s long-standing automation and IT expertise with its know-how in the fields of water power, paper machines and drive engineering. This new Group Division works with new and existing customers to develop innovative products and services by driving IIoT innovations and decisively shaping the digitalization process in the field of machine and plant engineering.

Voith is a global technology group. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, Voith today has more than 19,000 employees, sales of €4.2 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the largest family-owned companies in Europe.