Inekon Trams
Encyclopedia
Inekon Trams, a.s. is a manufacturer of tram
s, or streetcars
, located in the Czech Republic
, and has supplied new trams to several cities in the Czech Republic and the United States
. The company also carries out modernisation and repair of trams, as well as track reconstruction. It is a joint-stock company
(Czech
: Akciová společnost, or a.s.).
of Inekon Group and the Ostrava
Public Transport Agency (Dopravní Podnik Ostrava, or DPO), and was named DPO Inekon. The name was changed to Inekon Trams in 2005, after Inekon Group purchased the shares of DPO and became sole owner, but DPO's Ostrava facilities continue to be used for most production and assembly.
In the early 1990s Inekon Group tried to gain control of ČKD, which was one of the largest engineering companies in the country at the time, and which had produced almost 20,000 trams, including 14,000 Tatra T3
. While the effort to acquire the company failed, some of ČKD's employees were dissatisfied with the new owners and decided to come over to Inekon. Thus, Inekon Group acquired engineers from one of the world's largest producer of trams.
From 1996 until 2001/2, parent company Inekon Group had participated in a joint venture with Škoda Transportation Systems
, known as Škoda-Inekon, for the construction of trams. Most of the mechanical design work was undertaken by Inekon Group subsidiary Kolejová Doprava (in Prague
), while the production was carried out by Škoda (in Plzeň), and the electrical propulsion equipment was made by Škoda and the Austrian company Elin EBG Traction. Marketing was also handled by Inekon Group. The Škoda-Inekon partnership built the Astra model, of which the unidirectional version, model 03T, was supplied to several Czech cities and the bi-directional version, model 10T
, was supplied to two U.S. cities (Portland
and Tacoma).
The partnership collapsed in 2001, and strong disagreements resulted in both companies filing lawsuits against the other. Škoda continued producing some of the same models on its own, and retaining the same model designations (such as 03T) as had originally been adopted under Škoda-Inekon, but with Inekon no longer involved. Inekon formed a new joint venture with DPO for production, using DPO's workshops at Martinov, but the design and development of new trams continued to be carried out by Kolejová Doprava, which remains a subsidiary of Inekon Group. For this reason, Inekon's 01-Trio is nearly identical to the Škoda 03T in most respects, while the same is the case for the Inekon 12-Trio and Škoda 10T
, respectively. One transport operator, the Portland Streetcar
, has a fleet that includes seven Škoda-Inekon 10T cars (built in 2001-2), three Inekon 12-Trio cars and one newer 10T built by United Streetcar
under licence from Škoda, and all eleven have identical overall dimensions, configuration, and other technical specifications, and use mostly the same parts. Škoda and Inekon Group settled their differences in 2006, and even forged a new alliance specifically for the purpose of winning a large contract for new trams for Toronto, but that contract was awarded to a different manufacturer, and since then the two companies have continued to work separately.
The first tramcar completed by DPO-Inekon was Ostrava tram system's car 1251, a Trio delivered in 2002. Renamed Inekon Trams in 2005, the company developed additional tramcar designs and expanded into other types of work, in particular overhaul and modernization of older trams and reconstruction and upgrading of tracks. The tram system in Izhevsk
, Russia
, awarded Inekon a 1 million-euro
contract for track repair in 2006, and the city of Ufa
also contracted with Inekon for tramway upgrading. Trams have been modernized for Sofia
, Bulgaria
, and other cities.
In 2011 Inekon won a tender for 6 new tramcars for Seattle's "First Hill" route. The Czech company has partnered with Seattle based Pacifica Marine, a transport vehicles refurbisher, in order to meet the requirement of 60% of U.S. content, which is needed for the project to be eligible for Federal funding. While major part of manufacturing will still take place in the Czech Republic, assembly, painting and testing will be done already by the American company. Inekon and Pacifica plan to bid also for streetcar projects in other U.S. cities, with plans to eventually start building streetcars completely in the US, similarly as United Streetcar
's partnership with Škoda.
Due to low figures of production, Inekon's manufacture of trams has been loss-making and the parent company has to subsidise the tram division from its other activities, such as constructing large cement mills (currently planned or under construction in Egypt
, Morocco
, Syria
and Vietnam
), modernisations of trains as well as train corridors and construction of large sewage plants (in Ireland
, Holland, Italy
, Latvia
, etc.). Nevertheless, Inekon maintains capacities for production of trams as well as for their development, aiming to sell them especially in the American
, Russia
n and Chinese
tramway markets.
models, either partially or fully, and are articulated.
) design, in which the low-floor area represents 50% of the entire vehicle floor area. The overall length is 20.13 metres (66 ft).
The 01-Trio is a single-ended (uni-directional) version, buyers of which have included the transport agencies in Olomouc
and Ostrava
. The first car was built in 2002, for Ostrava's tram system (DPO).
The 12-Trio is a double-ended (bi-directional) model designed for export. Trams of this type have been purchased by three U.S.
cities, as follows:
All nine 12-Trio cars manufactured thus far have been equipped with propulsion
control systems made by Elin EBG.
car with at least 50% low-floor area. No trams of this design have been constructed thus far.
Model Inekon 11, the Pento, is essentially a longer version of the Trio. It is a five-section, 30.2 metres (99.1 ft) unidirectional car with 64% low-floor area.
Model Inekon Superior Plus was a design developed together with Škoda in 2008 for the Toronto Transit Commission
's bid for 204 new streetcars. It is a 100% low-floor tram designed in order to meet specific requirements of the Toronto tramway tracks, especially its unusually small 36 feet (10.973 m)-radius curves
. The tram's appearance was created by designer Patrik Kotas, who is also responsible for the look of Škoda's newest ForCity
tram. The Škoda-Inekon consortium was not permitted to take part in the bidding process, which was in the end won by Bombardier
, for its Flexity Outlook, which met the Commission's Canadian content requirement.
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
s, or streetcars
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
, located in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, and has supplied new trams to several cities in the Czech Republic and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The company also carries out modernisation and repair of trams, as well as track reconstruction. It is a joint-stock company
Joint stock company
A joint-stock company is a type of corporation or partnership involving two or more individuals that own shares of stock in the company...
(Czech
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
: Akciová společnost, or a.s.).
History
Formed in 2001, the company was originally a joint ventureJoint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
of Inekon Group and the Ostrava
Ostrava
Ostrava is the third largest city in the Czech Republic and the second largest urban agglomeration after Prague. Located close to the Polish border, it is also the administrative center of the Moravian-Silesian Region and of the Municipality with Extended Competence. Ostrava was candidate for the...
Public Transport Agency (Dopravní Podnik Ostrava, or DPO), and was named DPO Inekon. The name was changed to Inekon Trams in 2005, after Inekon Group purchased the shares of DPO and became sole owner, but DPO's Ostrava facilities continue to be used for most production and assembly.
In the early 1990s Inekon Group tried to gain control of ČKD, which was one of the largest engineering companies in the country at the time, and which had produced almost 20,000 trams, including 14,000 Tatra T3
Tatra T3
The T3 is a type of tramcar produced by Tatra. During its period of production, between 1960 and 1989, 13,991 multiple units and 122 sidecars were sold worldwide, mostly in Central and Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union...
. While the effort to acquire the company failed, some of ČKD's employees were dissatisfied with the new owners and decided to come over to Inekon. Thus, Inekon Group acquired engineers from one of the world's largest producer of trams.
From 1996 until 2001/2, parent company Inekon Group had participated in a joint venture with Škoda Transportation Systems
Škoda Works
Škoda Works was the largest industrial enterprise in Austro-Hungary and later in Czechoslovakia, one of its successor states. It was also one of the largest industrial conglomerates in Europe in the 20th century...
, known as Škoda-Inekon, for the construction of trams. Most of the mechanical design work was undertaken by Inekon Group subsidiary Kolejová Doprava (in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
), while the production was carried out by Škoda (in Plzeň), and the electrical propulsion equipment was made by Škoda and the Austrian company Elin EBG Traction. Marketing was also handled by Inekon Group. The Škoda-Inekon partnership built the Astra model, of which the unidirectional version, model 03T, was supplied to several Czech cities and the bi-directional version, model 10T
Škoda 10 T
The Škoda 10 T is a three-carbody-section low-floor bi-directional tram, developed by Škoda.The vehicle is four-axled, and is based on the Škoda 03 T, a uni-directional model operating in a few cities in the Czech Republic...
, was supplied to two U.S. cities (Portland
Portland Streetcar
The Portland Streetcar is a streetcar system in Portland, Oregon, that opened in 2001 and serves areas surrounding downtown Portland. It is currently a single line that is almost long and serves some 12,000 daily riders, but a second line is expected to open in 2012.As with the heavier-duty MAX...
and Tacoma).
The partnership collapsed in 2001, and strong disagreements resulted in both companies filing lawsuits against the other. Škoda continued producing some of the same models on its own, and retaining the same model designations (such as 03T) as had originally been adopted under Škoda-Inekon, but with Inekon no longer involved. Inekon formed a new joint venture with DPO for production, using DPO's workshops at Martinov, but the design and development of new trams continued to be carried out by Kolejová Doprava, which remains a subsidiary of Inekon Group. For this reason, Inekon's 01-Trio is nearly identical to the Škoda 03T in most respects, while the same is the case for the Inekon 12-Trio and Škoda 10T
Škoda 10 T
The Škoda 10 T is a three-carbody-section low-floor bi-directional tram, developed by Škoda.The vehicle is four-axled, and is based on the Škoda 03 T, a uni-directional model operating in a few cities in the Czech Republic...
, respectively. One transport operator, the Portland Streetcar
Portland Streetcar
The Portland Streetcar is a streetcar system in Portland, Oregon, that opened in 2001 and serves areas surrounding downtown Portland. It is currently a single line that is almost long and serves some 12,000 daily riders, but a second line is expected to open in 2012.As with the heavier-duty MAX...
, has a fleet that includes seven Škoda-Inekon 10T cars (built in 2001-2), three Inekon 12-Trio cars and one newer 10T built by United Streetcar
United Streetcar
United Streetcar, LLC, is a manufacturer of streetcars, located in the Clackamas area in the southeastern suburbs of Portland, Oregon, United States. It is the only U.S. company building modern streetcars, as distinct from light rail cars or new replicas of historic streetcars. United Streetcar is...
under licence from Škoda, and all eleven have identical overall dimensions, configuration, and other technical specifications, and use mostly the same parts. Škoda and Inekon Group settled their differences in 2006, and even forged a new alliance specifically for the purpose of winning a large contract for new trams for Toronto, but that contract was awarded to a different manufacturer, and since then the two companies have continued to work separately.
The first tramcar completed by DPO-Inekon was Ostrava tram system's car 1251, a Trio delivered in 2002. Renamed Inekon Trams in 2005, the company developed additional tramcar designs and expanded into other types of work, in particular overhaul and modernization of older trams and reconstruction and upgrading of tracks. The tram system in Izhevsk
Izhevsk
Izhevsk is the capital city of the Udmurt Republic, Russia, situated on the Izh River in the Western Urals. Population: From 1984 to 1987 Izhevsk carried the name Ustinov |Minister of Defense of the USSR]], Marshal of the Soviet Union, Dmitry Ustinov). The city is an important industrial center,...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, awarded Inekon a 1 million-euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
contract for track repair in 2006, and the city of Ufa
Ufa
-Demographics:Nationally, dominated by Russian , Bashkirs and Tatars . In addition, numerous are Ukrainians , Chuvash , Mari , Belarusians , Mordovians , Armenian , Germans , Jews , Azeris .-Government and administration:Local...
also contracted with Inekon for tramway upgrading. Trams have been modernized for Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, and other cities.
In 2011 Inekon won a tender for 6 new tramcars for Seattle's "First Hill" route. The Czech company has partnered with Seattle based Pacifica Marine, a transport vehicles refurbisher, in order to meet the requirement of 60% of U.S. content, which is needed for the project to be eligible for Federal funding. While major part of manufacturing will still take place in the Czech Republic, assembly, painting and testing will be done already by the American company. Inekon and Pacifica plan to bid also for streetcar projects in other U.S. cities, with plans to eventually start building streetcars completely in the US, similarly as United Streetcar
United Streetcar
United Streetcar, LLC, is a manufacturer of streetcars, located in the Clackamas area in the southeastern suburbs of Portland, Oregon, United States. It is the only U.S. company building modern streetcars, as distinct from light rail cars or new replicas of historic streetcars. United Streetcar is...
's partnership with Škoda.
Due to low figures of production, Inekon's manufacture of trams has been loss-making and the parent company has to subsidise the tram division from its other activities, such as constructing large cement mills (currently planned or under construction in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
), modernisations of trains as well as train corridors and construction of large sewage plants (in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Holland, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, etc.). Nevertheless, Inekon maintains capacities for production of trams as well as for their development, aiming to sell them especially in the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n and Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
tramway markets.
Tramcar models
Models of new trams currently available include the Trio series, Superior and Pento. All are low-floorLow-floor tram
A low-floor tram is a tram that has no stair steps between one or more entrances and part or all of the passenger cabin. The low-floor design improves the accessibility of the tram for the public, and also may provide larger windows and more airspace....
models, either partially or fully, and are articulated.
Trio
The Trio is a three-carbody-section, four-axle (two-bogieBogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
) design, in which the low-floor area represents 50% of the entire vehicle floor area. The overall length is 20.13 metres (66 ft).
The 01-Trio is a single-ended (uni-directional) version, buyers of which have included the transport agencies in Olomouc
Olomouc
Olomouc is a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. The city is located on the Morava river and is the ecclesiastical metropolis and historical capital city of Moravia. Nowadays, it is an administrative centre of the Olomouc Region and sixth largest city in the Czech Republic...
and Ostrava
Ostrava
Ostrava is the third largest city in the Czech Republic and the second largest urban agglomeration after Prague. Located close to the Polish border, it is also the administrative center of the Moravian-Silesian Region and of the Municipality with Extended Competence. Ostrava was candidate for the...
. The first car was built in 2002, for Ostrava's tram system (DPO).
The 12-Trio is a double-ended (bi-directional) model designed for export. Trams of this type have been purchased by three U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
cities, as follows:
- Portland StreetcarPortland StreetcarThe Portland Streetcar is a streetcar system in Portland, Oregon, that opened in 2001 and serves areas surrounding downtown Portland. It is currently a single line that is almost long and serves some 12,000 daily riders, but a second line is expected to open in 2012.As with the heavier-duty MAX...
: 3 cars (nos. 008-010), built in 2006 and delivered in 2007 - Seattle StreetcarSouth Lake Union StreetcarThe Seattle Streetcar—South Lake Union Line is a streetcar line connecting the South Lake Union neighborhood to Downtown Seattle, United States. Service began on December 12, 2007...
: 3 cars, delivered in 2007 - the Department of TransportationDistrict of Columbia Department of TransportationThe District of Columbia Department of Transportation is an agency of the government of the District of Columbia which manages and maintains publicly-owned transportation infrastructure in the District of Columbia...
of Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
for the D.C. StreetcarDC StreetcarThe DC Streetcar is a surface light rail and streetcar network under construction in Washington, D.C. The streetcars will be the first to run in the District of Columbia since the dismantling of the previous streetcar system in 1962...
line: 3 cars, completed in 2007 but not shipped to the USA until late 2009, due to delays in construction of the tram line and carhouse (storage and maintenance building) in Washington.
All nine 12-Trio cars manufactured thus far have been equipped with propulsion
Vehicle propulsion
Vehicle propulsion refers to the act of moving an artificial carrier of people or goods over any distance. The power plant used to drive the vehicles can vary widely. Originally, humans or animals would have provided the propulsion system, later being supplemented by wind power...
control systems made by Elin EBG.
Other models
Model Inekon 04, the Superior, is a three-section, 32.6 metres (107 ft) unidirectionalUni-directional
Unidirectional refers to an object that moves in only one direction at one time.It can refer to:*In communications theory, it is referred to as simplex communication or using ITU standards it refers to half-duplex signaling behavior....
car with at least 50% low-floor area. No trams of this design have been constructed thus far.
Model Inekon 11, the Pento, is essentially a longer version of the Trio. It is a five-section, 30.2 metres (99.1 ft) unidirectional car with 64% low-floor area.
Model Inekon Superior Plus was a design developed together with Škoda in 2008 for the Toronto Transit Commission
Toronto Transit Commission
-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...
's bid for 204 new streetcars. It is a 100% low-floor tram designed in order to meet specific requirements of the Toronto tramway tracks, especially its unusually small 36 feet (10.973 m)-radius curves
Minimum railway curve radius
The minimum railway curve radius, the shortest design radius, has an important bearing on constructions costs and operating costs and, in combination with superelevation in the case of train tracks, determines the maximum safe speed of a curve. Superelevation is not a factor on tramway tracks...
. The tram's appearance was created by designer Patrik Kotas, who is also responsible for the look of Škoda's newest ForCity
Škoda 15 T
Škoda 15T is a 100% low floor tram developed by Škoda for the Transport Company of Prague in the years 2005-2008. The order and subsequent construction was influenced by experiences with operation of the Škoda 14 T in the Prague tram network...
tram. The Škoda-Inekon consortium was not permitted to take part in the bidding process, which was in the end won by Bombardier
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
, for its Flexity Outlook, which met the Commission's Canadian content requirement.
External links
- Inekon Trams page at Inekon Group website (see infobox, above, for main Inekon Trams website)
- Inekon Group (parent company) website