Sweden: Since January, the first three five-car low-floor Flexity trams (called the M34 in Sweden) have been operating on Line 11.
The M34s are the extended version of the three-car M33 trams, which have been in service since 2020. Each new tram can accommodate 319 passengers. The M34, designed for a maximum speed of 70 km/h, rests on six bogies, two per each end car and two for the central car. The waste heat coming out from the traction equipment is used for heating the interior.
The purchase of 60 trams at a cost of €120 mln has been made as part of the exercise of 2021–2022 options to a 2016 contract between Gothenburg’s operator Västtrafik and a consortium of Bombardier Transportation (acquired by Alstom in 2021) and Vossloh Kiepe (acquired by Knorr-Bremse in 2017).
The rolling stock is assembled at the Alstom site in Bautzen, Germany. The traction drive and the electrical equipment are produced by Knorr-Bremse.