Tram journeys are getting greener all the time

Trams don’t run on fossil fuels, but on electricity, which consists of 100% green energy. Can we make our trams run even more sustainably? Absolutely! When we overhaul existing trams, we replace old parts with new ones, so that the trams run more energy-efficiently. New trams have to be equipped with the most energy-efficient technologies on the market.

Existing trams are undergoing eco-efficient updates:

The few older trams that still operate in Antwerp were converted to electronic control between 1991 and 2000. We then did the same to many of the Ghent PCC trams. With the delivery of our Flexity2 trams – our Albatros models – the last resistor-drive trams were phased out of service between 2015 and 2017.

What does electronic control mean?

  • Smooth operation for traction and braking and a better response to wheel spin, for example (ABS).

  • Significantly less energy consumption: there is no more resistance loss. When the tram brakes, energy is released. This is used for the auxiliary systems and heating, or is returned to the grid via the overhead cables, allowing nearby trams to benefit from it, for instance.

Our recent trams (Hermelijn, Albatros, Zeelijner, the new trams for Antwerp) have wall insulation, as well as weighing less – which also means less energy consumption.

tram-spoort-groener

Different trams

Here are the considerations we take into account when purchasing new trams:

In our specifications we ask for the most environmentally friendly solutions on the market at the time.

  • Albatros trams: an innovative electronic drive.

  • New, larger low-floor trams: a redesigned self-regulating climate control system, in which the ventilation is adjusted according to CO2 measurements. Where possible, we only use ventilation without actual cooling or heating. To heat the tram, the new system uses the vehicle’s braking energy.