It seems like that against the background of the innovative Vityaz and Lions that have already become familiar. We are talking about the model 71-623, designed in 2007 and received the affectionate nickname “Carrot” among the people. The tram serves the new route 32. “Octagon” figured out why there are not enough new models for the opening lines and how the problem is related to import substitution.
Moscow tram depot
There are 35 tram routes in the capital, the passenger fleet consists of 622 cars, the Moscow Metro SUE tells Oktagon (it has been managing the capital’s tram transport since 2021). Four models can be found on the streets of the city: Vityaz-M (71-931 M), Lion cub (71-911EM), Pesa Fokstrot (71-414) and 71-623 (KTM-23). The first two models are manufactured by PK Transport Systems (PK TS), Pesa Fokstrot were purchased in Poland, 71-623 are products of the Ust-Katav Carriage Building Plant.
– Even 10 years ago, there were about 900 single cars in the capital, but then (Since 2017. – τ.) They began to buy three-section “Knights”. Due to the fact that they are longer, run faster and take up more space in the depot, it was decided to reduce the number of cars. Last year there was a period when they were not enough. In November 2021, the legendary Czech tram Tatra (T3), which had been in use since the 1960s, was decommissioned in Moscow. After that, waiting intervals increased on many routes. But it was saved by the temporary closure of several lines in connection with the construction of the Moscow Central Diameters (MCD). Due to this, fewer wagons are needed, but they are still, rather, not enough, – Georgy Krasnikov, an expert in the field of urban transport and transport planning, tells the Octagon.
It is impossible to manage with some innovative “Knights” (464 pieces) and “Lions” (40 pieces). And the Moscow authorities are still forced to use the so-called “Carrots”. There are 48 of them in the capital’s park, and they serve four routes, the metro said. The exact number of working Polish Pesa Fokstrot is difficult to estimate. In the subway they call the number 70.
“Polish wagons are of very high quality, but the first problems with them began in 2014,” says Georgy Krasnikov. – Then they were bought less than planned, due to the collapse of the ruble. They wanted to buy 120, bought 60, then another 10. But then they began to break down, there were problems with spare parts, especially, which is natural, recently due to sanctions. According to the City Electric Transport database, 23 Polish cars operate on Moscow lines.
Carriage and import substitution
According to the expert, the situation may become critical if the number of lines increases (the authorities have been promising this for a long time), but the number of trams remains the same or even starts to decrease due to technical problems. The metro expects that in 2023-2025 the capital will receive 150 trams of the latest generation. And as new low-floor cars arrive, all Carrots will be sent to rest, and the fleet of Moscow trams will be 100 percent renewed.
– The manufacturer of new cars will be determined as part of a tender for the supply, – according to the Moscow Metro.
Meanwhile, the manufacturer of the latest generation of trams, PK TS, claims that its production capacity allows the production of up to 450 units of rolling stock annually.
– For the next year, we plan to produce about 200 trams of various classes, – the company tells Octagon, specifying that the main customer now is St. Petersburg, as well as Tula, Cherepovets and Kursk.
The PC TC states that they do not experience problems with production due to incomplete localization. Back in June 2021, the ex-president and former co-owner of the company, Felix Vinokur, admitted that the trams produced by PK TS have 80 percent localization.
The company claims that localization has reached 90 percent, and by the end of 2023 it will be at least 95.
– We have already switched to Russian paints and varnishes, replaced oils and lubricants, and some elements of the tram bogie. By the end of 2023, we plan to switch to domestic gearboxes, rail brakes, and batteries. We are also working on a Russian alternative for bogie silent blocks, an axle, a clutch, batteries, and an air conditioner for the driver’s cab. By the end of 2023, we expect full localization of the production of intercarriage transitions,” the company’s press service tells Octagon.
They also clarified that the import substitution of engines has already taken place – they are bought at the Sarapul and Pskov electrical engineering plants. Earlier it was reported that the engines for the “Knights” and “Lions” were purchased from Skoda and Siemens.
Ten percent is critical?
However, as experts say, there are some difficulties behind favorable figures.
– Vityaz trams were created by the Tver Carriage Works (TVZ, part of Transmashholding. – τ.) together with PK TS. It was a world-class plant, it produced products that were demonstrated at international exhibitions. Nothing of the kind, for example, has happened in the field of passenger cars in Russia. The plant was part of the global supply chain. They had their own production, but the equipment related to power supply and electronics was imported from Europe. For electric power transport, power supply is critical. Now they are looking for an alternative to these components. Unfortunately, there is no good alternative yet,” says Mikhail Blinkin, director of the HSE Institute for Transport Economics and Transport Policy.
“It’s like a Zhiguli: the car is new, but of the 1985 model. In the meantime, these cars have not appeared, old trams will be taken out of the park, which is what we see.”
Mikhail Blinkin | Director of the Institute of Transport Economics and Transport Policy, National Research University
According to Blinkin, manufacturers are not lying when they claim that the localization of production is 90 percent: by weight of everything “native” it can be even more.
– The only question is that the remaining 10 percent are critical. It is impossible to reproduce this beauty, which we see in Moscow on the rails, 100 percent. There will be cars, but from the point of view of the lineup, they will be old, – the expert suggests.
One cabin is good, but two is better
In the PC TS, however, they assure that the obsolescence of the cars is out of the question. On the contrary, according to company representatives, improvements are ongoing. True, first of all, the manufacturer lists innovations regarding the exterior and interior of the cars:
– Even within the framework of the contract with Moscow, we improved the technical and operational properties of trams. The first Vityaz-Moscow trams arrived in the Russian capital in the spring of 2017. For four years, the tram has been repeatedly improved: the color, exterior and interior design have changed, the systems responsible for creating comfort for passengers have been improved.
In 2021–2022, the capital received 74 new generation Vityaz-Moscow trams. Speaking about their improvement, the PC TC also primarily emphasizes how their appearance has changed: as in the previous version, LED lighting elements in the form of a single design of the headlights will remain in the cab exterior, contour lighting has appeared, doors have been improved, and entrance areas heated steel. The number of seats has been increased (from 60 to 70), the aisles in the salons have become wider by 5 percent, and so on. It is noteworthy that “as part of improving the safety of passengers, face recognition systems will be installed in all Vityaz-Moscow trams delivered from 2021.”
Energy efficiency, according to company representatives, has become higher:
– The integration of the system of supercapacitors (ionistors) will allow reducing the cost of electricity consumed for electric traction by up to 30 percent. Also, ionistors will increase the autonomous course up to two kilometers, prevent a short-term high voltage shutdown when passing through the special parts of the contact network and maintain the efficiency of the city’s energy facilities. As for the new models, the pride of the PC TS is the new two-cabin, three-section low-floor tram 71-932 (also created on the basis of Vityaz M). It was released just a month ago.
“Aggressive environment”
The life cycle of trams supplied to the capital of PK TS is 30 years. During this period, the company undertakes to provide services to the Moscow Metro. The question remains: will the necessary parts be kept in stock and how often will they need to be replaced? Judging by the latest government purchases, the need for Vityaz maintenance has arisen more than once in the last year alone. On February 15, a purchase was placed for the provision of services for the repair of Vityaz and Lvjat in the amount of almost 50 million rubles. A similar purchase took place last summer for the same amount.
The fact that the innovative trams used in the capital tend to fail is evidenced by a recent incident in Ulyanovsk. In 2018, the renewal of the tram and trolleybus fleet began in the city (the depreciation of the rolling stock there reached 80 percent).
Purchased including 29 “Lion cubs”. Last year, it turned out that 14 of them are idle due to broken tires and engines.
This was reported at the end of 2022 by local media with reference to the city hall. Legal proceedings are currently underway, the administration is trying to obtain components from the supplier through the courts. According to Oktagon, the dispute is, in particular, about whether the operating organization violated the rules for servicing trams.
– Perhaps, the Ulyanovsk specialists lacked competence, plus there are difficulties with personnel. In addition to the Lvyats, the city received decommissioned Tatras and KTMs from Moscow, and many of them are also now idle with breakdowns. In Moscow, there is an aggressive environment for wagons, reagents, so the equipment wears out quickly,” notes Georgy Krasnikov.
