TW 6000

TW 6000
TW 6000 on Hanover Stadtbahn
Manufacturer	DÜWAG (6001-6100) LHB (6101-6260)
Constructed	1974–1993
Scrapped	2014-2019
Number built	260
Capacity	46 seats 104 standing
Specifications
Train length	28.28 m (92 ft 9 in)
Width	2.4 m (7 ft 10 in)
Maximum speed	80 km/h (50 mph)
Power output	2 × 218 kW (292 hp)
UIC classification	B'2'2'B'
Coupling system	Scharfenberg
Track gauge	Standard 1,435 mm (4 ft 8.5 in)

The TW 6000 is a type of articulated light rail vehicle used on the Hanover Stadtbahn system, originally manufactured by Düwag, AEG, Kiepe and Siemens, the later batches being built by LHB (now part of Alstom).

The vehicle can serve both high platforms and street-level stops; it has cabs at both ends, thus eliminating the need for turning loops. It was unique in Germany at the time for featuring thyristor chopper control and a contemporary design by Prof. Herbert Lindinger.

A total number of 260 were built from 1974 to 1993, of which the first series of 100 was built by Düwag in Düsseldorf from 1974 to 1978, whilst the second to eighth series (160 in total) were built by LHB in Salzgitter from 1979 to 1993. From 2002 on, 82 units were sold to Budapest, Hungary and Den Haag, The Netherlands.

In 2013, üstra ordered 100 new vehicles (with an option for 46 more) to replace the aging TW 6000 vehicles; those vehicles, which are known as the TW 3000, are being delivered between 2014 and 2018.

A single unit has a length of 28.28 meters and a width of 2.4 meters, thus significantly increasing capacity compared to its predecessors. Up to 150 passengers can fit into a single car; in normal operations, two cars operate coupled together. The maximum speed is rated at 80 km/h, however it is not possible to sustain this speed on the Hanover network, so the de facto maximum speed is 70 km/h. The two DC motors are rated at 218 kW at 600 V each and can draw a maximum current of 900 A.

Cars 6206-6260 are microprocessor controlled, using an Intel 8085 and GTO thyristors.

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Wikipedia