The TRAMLINK starts regular services in Bern

BERNMOBIL started regular services with the TRAMLINK in the Swiss capital after a test phase lasting several months, on November 1st. The first Stadler TRAMLINK were officially handed over to BERNMOBIL and presented to the public at the Open Day at the Bolligenstrasse tram depot on 28 October 2023.

On 1 November 2023, BERNMOBIL started regular service with the TRAMLINKs. The order, placed at the end of 2019, comprises 20 bi-directional vehicles and 7 one-way vehicles to be delivered between 2023 and 2025. The new trams will replace existing vehicles that are reaching the end of their useful life. The first five vehicles are already in Bern.

With more than 300 TRAMLINKs sold in 15 cities, Stadler trams are setting standards in terms of performance, safety, universal accessibility and comfort. The TRAMLINK trams are already in service e.g. in Erfurt and Rostock (Germany), Gmunden (Austria), Santos (Brazil), and will soon be operating in Jena (Germany) and Milan (Italy). In Switzerland, the TRAMLINK runs on the Waldenburgerbahn, on the Limmattalbahn and on the Lugano-Ponte-Tresa-Bahn, and from tomorrow also in Bern.

“We are particularly proud to supply Bern’s new trams and to be able to offer its citizens high standards of travel comfort, safety and accessibility,” said Ignacio Erce, Operations VicePresident of Stadler Valencia.

BERNMOBIL’s new TRAMLINKs have been designed to meet the mobility needs and infrastructure requirements of the Swiss capital. With 42.5 m long, 2.3 m wide offer large passenger capacity, up to 250 people (at four people per m2 of standing area). The first thing that attracts attention is the vehicle’s elegant exterior design and its bright, spacious, barrier-free interior. With wooden seats and large multifunctional areas for wheelchairs or pushchairs next to the doors, the unique interior design serves the comfort of the passengers.

As main innovations, these vehicles incorporate a modern passenger information system, rear cameras instead of rear mirrors, an efficient air conditioning system that works by measuring the CO2 in the passenger compartment to minimize energy consumption and a brake assistance system for collision avoidance. In addition, the TRAMLINK features innovative bogies with real axles for smooth and comfortable driving through the narrow streets of its historic center with small radius curves.

For all these details, the TRAMLINK for BERNMOBIL has been awarded the prestigious Red Dot Design Award 2023.

“With the TRAMLINK, BERNMOBIL now has a state-of-the-art tram fleet that is completely barrier-free,” says René Schmied, Director of BERNMOBIL. “This will make public transport in the city and region of Bern even more attractive and sustainable.“