DSW21 stops light rail modernization after Heiterblick bankruptcy!

DSW21 stops light rail modernization after Heiterblick bankruptcy!

The city of Dortmund is confronted with far-reaching changes in local public transport. DSW21 has decided to stop modernizing its old light rail systems. The reason for this is the insolvency of the railway manufacturer Heiterblick from Leipzig, which had previously supplied new light rail vehicles for the city. DSW21 is thus drawing consequences that can affect the entire project and local transport in Dortmund, as ruhrnachrichten.de reports.

DSW21 has so far been busy modernizing 64 high-floor railways that are identical in construction. The first modernized train, number 348, arrived at the beginning of July by heavy transport from Leipzig. However, the entire acceptance process for this railway will take over a year until it can be integrated into regular service. The modernization is part of the so-called “B-Wagen Project”, which is estimated to cost around 250 million euros and includes a total of 98 vehicles.

High investments and sustainability

The cost of modernizing a single existing vehicle amounts to just under 2 million euros, while new vehicles cost around 3.3 million euros. DSW21 expects the modernization of 64 vehicles to save around 85 million euros. In addition, the DSW21 keeps many components and spare parts in reserve in order to make the modernization work efficient and resource-saving. According to bus-und-bahn.de, sustainability aspects also play a central role in this decision. By reusing the shells, around 2,000 tons of CO2 are expected to be saved.

The modernized vehicles are designed to remain in service for another 25 years. Technically they are identical to the new vehicles, which means that they can be linked without any problems. The conversions are carried out in DSW21's light rail workshop in Dortmund, and in order to obtain approval of the vehicles from the technical supervisory authority, DSW21 must fill out documentation of around 16,000 pages.

Current developments in the fleet

In addition to the modernization work, DSW21 has decommissioned ten B100 trains that are no longer profitable due to their age and mileage. The current fleet consists of 121 vehicles and is expected to grow to 145 vehicles by 2031. The “B-Wagen Project” was awarded the “ZfK Sustainability Award” in 2023, which underlines the efforts towards environmentally friendly mobility.

The challenges posed by Heiterblick's insolvency and the associated decisions hit DSW21 at a critical time. It remains to be seen whether DSW21 will be able to complete the modernizations in a timely manner and offer passengers improved mobility. The development will be of great importance for both the city of Dortmund and its residents.