The Cottbus tramway (, ) is a

network Network, networking and networked may refer to: Science and technology * Network theory, the study of graphs as a representation of relations between discrete objects * Network science, an academic field that studies complex networks Mathematics ...

tram A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which Rolling stock, vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some ...

ways forming the backbone of the

public transport system Public transport (also known as public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) are forms of transport available to the general public. It typically uses a fixed schedule, route and charges a fixed fare. There is no rigid definition of whic ...

Cottbus Cottbus () or (;) is a university city and the second-largest city in the German state of Brandenburg after the state capital, Potsdam. With around 100,000 inhabitants, Cottbus is the most populous city in Lusatia. Cottbus lies in the Sorbian ...

, a city in the

federal state A federation (also called a federal state) is an entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governing status of the c ...

Brandenburg Brandenburg, officially the State of Brandenburg, is a States of Germany, state in northeastern Germany. Brandenburg borders Poland and the states of Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony. It is the List of Ger ...

, Germany. Opened in 1903, the network has been operated since 1953 by the company now known as , and is integrated in the

Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg The Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg (VBB) is a transport association run by public transport providers in the German states of Berlin and Brandenburg. It is a private limited company owned jointly by the states of Berlin and Brandenburg (w ...

(VBB).

Lines

With the opening of a new transfer station at

Cottbus Hauptbahnhof Cottbus Hauptbahnhof (German language, German) or Chóśebuz głowne dwórnišćo (Lower Sorbian language, Lower Sorbian) is one of the main railway stations of the German state of Brandenburg. It was called ''Cottbus station'' until 9 December 2 ...

on 22 October 2019 a new network was introduced, which comprised the following lines:

Rolling stock

KTNF6

A fleet of 21

KTNF6 The Tatra KTNF6 is a modernized tram, type KT4, rebuilt with a central low-floor segment. These types of tram cars are used in Cottbus, in Brandenburg City and Schöneiche-Rüdersdorf, Germany, and in Tallinn, Estonia (as ''KT6TM''). Another sim ...

trams, built from 1981 until 1988, is operated in Cottbus. These were originally built as two-section high-floor KT4D trams were rebuilt during the 1990s with a low-floor central section and a new chopper control system. Of the 26 trams which were rebuilt 21 are still in service.

ForCity Plus

A procurement project for new trams was started in 2018, jointly with

Frankfurt (Oder) Frankfurt (Oder), also known as Frankfurt an der Oder (, ; Central Marchian: ''Frankfort an de Oder,'' ) is the fourth-largest city in the German state of Brandenburg after Potsdam, Cottbus and Brandenburg an der Havel. With around 58,000 inh ...

and

, and a contract was awarded to

Škoda Transportation Škoda Transportation Akciová společnost, a.s. is a Czech Republic, Czech manufacturer of vehicles for public transport, including Tram, trams, Electric multiple unit, electric multiple units, and Bus, buses. The company was formerly a divisio ...

in 2020. Cottbus was originally to receive seven new trams but the order was increased in 2022 to a total of 22 vehicles. The first new tram was delivered to Cottbus in June 2024 and will undergo a period of testing before entering passenger service. The new trams are designated ForCity Plus 47T by the manufacturer and are three-section unidirectional vehicles with a length of 28.96 m and a width of 2.4 m. They have two fully-rotating traction bogies, one under each of the end sections, and a fixed trailer bogie under the central section. The trams are 70% low-floor and have a total capacity of 158 passengers, including 61 seats.

References

Bibliography

* *

External links

* {{coord, 51, 44, 59, N, 14, 19, 33, E, region:DE-BB_type:railwaystation_source:, display=title Transport in Cottbus

Metre-gauge railways in Germany 600 V DC railway electrification