HÜBNER supplies around 200 customized systems – Gangways for HeiterBlick trams in Würzburg, Leipzig, Görlitz, and Zwickau

Kassel, Germany (November 19, 2024). In the future, new trams for Würzburg, Leipzig, Görlitz and Zwickau will be equipped with HÜBNER gangways. The trams will be manufactured by HeiterBlick GmbH, with whom the HÜBNER Group signed the corresponding contracts at the recent InnoTrans trade fair. A total of around 200 gangway systems will be delivered to HeiterBlick by 2026.

With the model of the GT-F tram at InnoTrans: Timm Kohberger (from left, Head of Gangway Systems Rail, HÜBNER Kassel), David Pittasch (Head of Procurement, HeiterBlick GmbH), Philipp Vogel (Head of Construction, HeiterBlick GmbH), Daniel Stück (Account Manager Sales, HÜBNER Kassel) and Maximilian Schäfer (Head of Sales Mobility Rail, HÜBNER Kassel). Photo: HÜBNER Group/Claas Michaelis

Four different solutions for each vehicle

For the GT-F series trams to be used in Würzburg in the future, HÜBNER is manufacturing four different gangway solutions for each tram, which differ slightly from each other. Each system is tailored to the respective vehicle section with a width of 90 centimeters and consists of folding bellows, turntable, air conditioning ducts, upper and lower joints as well as energy supply systems.

„With our gangway systems as an overall system solution, we contribute about one-tenth of the total vehicle length of 36 meters for each tram“, explains Heiko Fuhrmann, Project Manager for Gangway Systems at HÜBNER. „The scope of our work demonstrates the major contribution that our team is making to the development of the new vehicles, with the corresponding demands on functionality and reliability.“ The first gangways from the HÜBNER plant in Kassel have already been delivered to HeiterBlick GmbH. By the fall of 2025, a total of 72 systems will be manufactured for the Würzburg tram project.

 

Strong partners for technical innovations

HeiterBlick GmbH is a tram and LRV manufacturer based in Leipzig, Germany, with approximately 240 employees. The company is producing the 18 new GT-F vehicles for Würzburger Straßenbahn GmbH at its Leipzig plant. They feature a modern and user-oriented design with a bright and friendly interior for maximum passenger comfort.

„With their modern and user-oriented design and their bright and friendly interiors, our vehicles offer the highest level of ride comfort“, says Sebastian Louca, GT-F Würzburg project manager at HeiterBlick GmbH. „We achieve the high technical standard by working with strong partners like the HÜBNER Group, who share our commitment to quality and sustainability.“

 

Folding bellows seamlessly integrate into the interior

The “Saxon Platform – Tram of the Future” is the second major project for HeiterBlick, for which HÜBNER is supplying a total of 128 gangway systems. These will be installed in 25 trams for Leipzig, eight trams for Görlitz and six vehicles for Zwickau. HÜBNER has developed the inner folding bellows especially for this project, so that it can be seamlessly integrated into the interior of the train over a width of 90 centimeters. The 25 NGT12+ vehicles for Leipzig will be delivered from spring 2025 until the end of 2026.

 

FXpro: long service life, low life cycle costs

Part of the HeiterBlick gangway is the lower FXpro articulation system, which is characterized by a long service life and low life cycle costs. Thanks to further development, HÜBNER now offers the bearing of the joint from its own production and was able to double the service life from eight to 16 years.

„We are delighted to have been able to impress HeiterBlick with our customized systems for the innovative local transportation projects in Bavaria and Saxony“, says Daniel Stück, Account Manager Sales of HÜBNER Kassel. „With our broad portfolio of intelligent product solutions, we want to contribute to increasing the flexibility of rail transportation and optimizing the environmental footprint of our customers.“