Russia: The presentation of a single-car tram was held at the Foxbus plant in Vorsma, the Nizhny Novgorod region. The production of trams should be launched there together with the Belarusian BKM Holding within the framework of the Nizhekotrans joint venture. At the first stage, the level of localization in Russia will be 30%. The amount of investment in the production project is not disclosed.
According to current data from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, 30% of Nizhelektrotrans is the share of the previously Belkommunmash holding (now BKM Holding). Another 15% of the joint venture is owned by Ecological Projects, the rest is owned by the Foxbus bus manufacturer with a plant of 46,000 m2 in Vorsma and integrated solutions provider – AMB Holding.
The new model is based on the 811 platform of low-floor trams by BKM Holding. The vehicle was named MiNiN, which means cooperation between Minsk and Nizhny Novgorod. According to BKM Holding, the exterior and interior were designed exclusively for the Russian city. The website of the Belarusian manufacturer states that the 16.5 m long 811 series tram has a passenger capacity of 165 people and the total power of four traction motors is 280 kW.
The interior of the MiNiN low-floor tram. Source: VremyaN, RIA Novosti
In September of this year, Nizhny Novgorod entered into a concession agreement with the Ecological Projects company, according to which 170 trams, including 26 three-car trams, should be produced at the Foxbus plant in Vorsma. Nizhekotrans declares that the cost of one single-car tram will be more than 57 mln RUR ($0.87 mln). BKM Holding says it plans to supply 10 single-car 811 trams of 811 series and 26 three-car of 856 model, 20 tram sets and 114 bogie and electrical equipment sets to the site. At full capacity, about 500 jobs should be created in Vorsma.
As part of the concession agreement, in addition to the purchase of trams, it is also planned to replace 149.3 km of tracks, repair 15 traction substations and three tram depots. The need for investments within the framework of the concession project is estimated at 50.4 bln RUR ($840 mln), 30% of which will come from the federal and regional budgets’ gratuitous subsidy.
The control panel of the MiNiN tram. Source: Gleb Nikitin/telegram
Alexander Titov, CEO of Nizhekotrans, explained to the Kommersant daily that imported components make up 7% of the new tram production. The remaining parts in the proportion of 70% to 30% are produced in Belarus and Russia. From April 2023, this ratio should change in favor of Russian suppliers. Even now, DAT-72B electric motors for these trams are supplied by the Sarapul Electric Generator Plant (SEGZ). The company told ROLLINGSTOCK that a total of 44 electric motors will be shipped to BKM Holding by the end of 2022.
According to the BKM Holding website, it has delivered 382 trams to various markets so far. In 2021 BKM Holding supplied 5 trams to Russia (2% of the market): this was the modernization of 71-605 trams for Novosibirsk immitating the BKM 62103 model, carried out at the site of the BKM-Siberia subsidiary. In general, the modernization of trams for Novosibirsk has been the main business of BKM Holding in Russia in recent years. The largest delivery of new trams to Russia by BKM Holding was carried out in 2013-2014, for Kazan – 20 three-car trams of the BKM-84300M model (80% of low floor space), 13 trams of the BKM 62103 model and 8 vehicles of the Stadler 62103 model (all with variable floor).
