Mobility transition in Dortmund: Additional 8 light rail vehicles from Kiepe Electric and HeiterBlick

Alexander Ketterl, Managing Director of Kiepe Electric: “Kiepe Electric has a decades-long partnership with DSW21, and I am extremely pleased that another chapter is being added. The customer's trust shows that we have done a good job with the vehicles we have already delivered. With our technology and our knowledge, we contribute to vehicle safety, ride comfort and energy-reduced, sustainable operation of the light rail system. In this way, we are living up to our own claim of actively supporting vehicle manufacturers and operators in the transport transition.”

Ulrich Jaeger, transport director DSW21, sees his transport company confronted with increasing expectations in the mobility transition: “We are of course taking on this challenge and continually checking whether the number of our vehicles corresponds to the requirements of our offers. In addition to the 26 new vehicles that were initially ordered and some of which have already been delivered, as well as the 64 vehicles in our existing fleet, which we will modernize with the same construction, we have decided to order a further eight vehicles. This means that DSW21 is very well positioned for the future. With Kiepe Electric we have a competent partner in this project. We look forward to further collaboration.”

The Dortmund light rail project is characterized by a particularly sustainable and forward-looking approach and can therefore serve as a model for other transport companies. In addition to the 34 new vehicles, HeiterBlick and Kiepe Electric will modernize a fleet of 64 existing B80C trains that are identical to the new vehicles by 2031. Kiepe Electric guarantees the reliable and up-to-date operation of the electrical system equipment in each of the vehicles, which extends the life cycle of the entire railway fleet. New vehicle construction and modernizations are carried out by the Leipzig vehicle manufacturer HeiterBlick: “Dortmund is a unique process in the industry and our most sustainable light rail project in production and use,” explains Jan Erning, project and sales manager at HeiterBlick. “All 98 vehicles will receive the same standard of equipment. Passengers and drivers will later see and feel no difference between modernized and new vehicles in the fleet.”

The new six-axle, high-floor, bi-directional light rail vehicles, 28 meters long, will have reliable and modern electrical technology with traction, APS (Auxiliary Power Supply), TCMS (Train Control and Management System), on-board network and control technology from Kiepe Electric. For passenger comfort, Kiepe Electric supplies modern heating and ventilation technology, which in conjunction with the innovative vehicle insulation implemented by HeiterBlick, significantly reduces energy requirements. The installed heating output is reduced by more than 70% from 100 kW to just 27 kW. Pre-equipped Wi-Fi and USB sockets are part of the standard equipment. Kiepe Electric offers DSW21 an extensive spare parts and workshop package for operating the trams.