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Brookville trams with energy storage will start operating in Tempe in May

16 May 2022
Reading time ~ 3 min
Liberty NXT tram operational tests in Tempe
Liberty NXT tram operational tests in Tempe. Source: railwayage-com
Litvintsova Olga, Editor of International Projects, ROLLINGSTOCK Agency
Reading time ~ 3 min
Stolchnev Alexey, Russian Projects Editor, ROLLINGSTOCK Agency

USA: At the end of May, Valley Metro plans to put into operation a 5 km line in Tempe, which will run 6 three-section Liberty NXT trams manufactured by Brookville and equipped with an on-board energy storage system.

Li-Ion batteries must provide movement in several areas where there is no contact network. The energy storage equipment with cooling devices and of a 1.5 t total weight is installed on the roof of the cars. Their recharging takes place in electrified areas. The city’s Valley Metro estimates that the new line will have operating costs of $5.5 mln USD a year.

Partially low-floor Liberty NXT trams (over 70% low-floor) were delivered in Tempe under a $33 mln USD contract awarded in 2017. Their maximum passenger capacity is 120 people with 40 seats. The rolling stock is subject to the Buy American Act and includes at least 70% of components made in the USA. As Brookville sales manager Jake Ferko told Mass Transit, Tempe has delivered the second generation of Liberty NXT trams with increased battery power.

Tempe will be the 5th city in the country to operate Liberty NXT trams with energy storage. Currently, 7 of these trams run in Oklahoma City, 6 in Detroit, 5 in Milwaukee and 4 in Dallas. Also, there are 4 trams in production for Tacoma and 3 for Portland.

In mid-April, Tacoma city operator Sound Transit received the first three-section Liberty NXT tram. The entire batch should be delivered to the city before the end of this year. Passenger capacity and seating will be slightly different from the made-to-order Valley Metro, as the new rolling stock is planned to provide more space for people with limited mobility and to transport bicycles. The passenger capacity of the trams will be 100 people, the number of seats will be 26.

First Liberty NXT tram delivery to Tacoma First Liberty NXT tram delivery to Tacoma. Source: Mass Transit

Trams with energy storage in the US are also produced by another manufacturer, Siemens Mobility. In August last year, the company commissioned 6 three-section S700 trams in Charlotte. The vehicles were produced at the plant in Sacramento. The method of charging the batteries is identical to Brookville – the batteries receive electricity from the contact network. Each tram can accommodate 195 people and can accelerate to 40 km/h. At the moment, there is no information about plans to supply Siemens Mobility battery trams to other US cities.