Combino

The Combino is a low-floor tram produced by Siemens Mobility (formerly DUEWAG). The first prototype was produced in 1996 at the Duewag works in Düsseldorf; the trams are now made in Krefeld-Uerdingen.

Due to its modular design using standardised components, and the resulting reduced costs, the Combino was for a time one of the most successful tram types. They were sold to 12 jurisdictions and a further development was sold to two others.

In 2007, a new generation of Combinos was sold to Bern and was known as the Combino XL. This was an updated version of the original design and was intended to correct defects in the original design.

Subsequently, the model was again renamed and is now known as the Avenio M. 14 of these were produced in 2011 with 12 going to Erfurt and two to Nordhausen.

The Siemens line has been complemented by a new design of trams called the Avenio, which have been built on the design technology of Combino Plus in Sul de Tejo and Budapest. Unlike the Combino, it does not have suspended sections but rather two axles under each body section. In essence, it is like a train of two axle cars. As of 2014^[update], the Avenio is on order for The Hague and Munich.

Around 500 trams went into service in the following cities:

Twenty-two trams were ordered by Verona, Italy, but the contract was cancelled because of the technical problems noted in this article.

The tram is largely made out of aluminium, with a welded underframe to which the body framework is bolted in sections, which means that the Combino can easily be adopted to different lengths, widths and gauges. The length of the trams varies from 19 metres (62 ft) (Nordhausen "Duo" and Melbourne D1) to a world record 54 metres (177 ft) (Budapest), accommodating between 100 and 250 passengers. All versions are designed to have a 300-millimetre (11.8 in) floor height and a 10-tonne (11-short-ton) axle load. It can be built as a one-way or a two-way vehicle, and it is also produced as DuoCombino with an additional diesel propulsion system, courtesy of BMW's M67 3.9-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine. The only city to receive the DuoCombino was Nordhausen, Germany.

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