“Tram frequency in Tampere is already very tight at six minutes, and increasing it further would no longer be feasible in practice. The trams would easily become congested in traffic. Lengthening the units was therefore the only viable way to increase capacity,” says Pekka Sirviö, CEO of Tampereen Raitiotie Oy.
Tampere’s trams are manufactured in Kajaani at Škoda Transtech’s Otanmäki factory, where a roughly 10‑metre extension module is added to each unit. The capacity of a tram will increase by about one quarter. Sirviö and Lauri Lyly, Chair of the Board of Tampereen Raitiotie Oy and Member of Parliament, visited the Otanmäki factory to inspect the prototype currently being equipped.
“Excellent progress. The unit has now been moved from the welding line to equipment installation, and things are looking good,” they note with satisfaction.
Tampere currently operates 28 trams, each 37 metres long. The extended 47‑metre tram will arrive in Tampere for test runs this summer. The prototype and the later extended units will match the technical characteristics and performance of the existing fleet. All materials and components will remain compatible and interchangeable with the current trams. Factory production of the extension modules will begin after testing. The goal is that by the time the first section of the Pirkkala–Linnainmaa tramway opens in summer 2028, Tampere will have 19 extended trams and 16 trams of the current length.
“The project is progressing very well according to plans and schedule. Extending the trams was considered from the very beginning; the design work was based on the idea that one day Tampere’s tram could be 47 metres long. The tram was built in a modular way so that capacity and features can be increased as needs evolve. Extension projects are not very common, but given the tram’s popularity in Tampere, this is an excellent way to improve service for passengers,” says Juha Vierros, Director of Škoda Group in Finland.
“Modularity offers functional flexibility, which we believe will interest many potential customers,” Savolainen adds.
