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German trams find home in CaliforniaPosted on February 22, 2008
from Staff Reports
A scarcity of competition and a resurgent interest in fuel-efficiency has boosted orders at Siemens' light rail streetcar assembly plant in Sacramento.
The plant, which opened two years ago, has 200 trams on order, the German newspaper Der Spiegel reported Friday.
Among its pool of potential customers are 30 cities in the United States that have recently invested in streetcar systems and 50 more that are considering the option, the report said.
U.S. demand for light rail streetcars pales in comparison to Europe, but Siemens, whose main competitors for train construction are Canada's Bombardier Group and Japan's Kinki Sharyo, still plans to double its production in Sacramento in the next two years.
Currently, the plant makes 72 streetcars a year.
Part of the key to producing light rail streetcars (or trams) is to build something that can withstand the occasional fender bender in city traffic, yet run efficiently. Siemens' Duewag model tries to accomplish this with a steel body on a tram that feeds current back to the electrical system when the brakes are applied.
The trams also appeal to politicians who put reduction of greenhouse gas emissions on their agenda, the report says.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
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