SL95
Encyclopedia
SL95 is a series of 32 low-floor
, articulated tram
s operated on the Oslo Tramway. The series is built by Ansaldo
/Firema of Italy and delivered between 1999 and 2004. Capacity for the eight-axle, three-section vehicles is 212 passengers, of which 88 can be seated. The name derives from being ordered in 1995. Original plans called for the delivery to be between 1997 and 1998. Delivery took many years due to a magnitude of technical flaws, including high noise levels, freezing during the winter and corrosion. The trams are 33.12 metres (108.7 ft) long, 2.6 metres (8.5 ft) wide and 3.62 metres (11.9 ft) tall. The aluminum vehicles weigh 64.98 tonnes (64 LT) and have a power output of 840 kW.
The trams operate all services on lines 13, 17 and 18, and some on line 19. Due to their heavy weight and large turning radius they are unsuitable for the other lines. However, they are the only bi-direction trams in the fleet, and are needed on lines 17 and 18 along the Ullevål Hageby Line
. The trams cost about each, but discounts were awarded after the delays and technical faults.
-trams that had been delivered between 1982 and 1990, the company had several series of non-articulated trams with trailers that were built before 1960. The largest series were 13 SM53
s, 11 rebuilt SM83s and 28 trailers, in addition to 34 SM91
s that had been bought used from the Gothenburg Tramway
in 1991. Oslo Sporveier considered several possibilities for new trams, including ordering additional SL79s, purchasing motorized trailers for SL79, purchasing new low-floor trams, purchasing trams from ČKD Tatra, purchasing the 11 used TT Class 8
trams from Trondheim
, rebuild the SL79s with an additional section or purchasing used articulated trams from abroad. Purchasing used material and rebuilding the SL79s was quickly rejected. An non-articulated Tatra tram was tested in Oslo during January 1991.
Oslo Sporveier had previously bought all their new trams custom-made. For the 1995 order, the company instead wanted to purchase a pre-designed tram. The company for a long time considered purchasing trams along with Storstockholms Lokaltrafik
, who were needing new rolling stock for two light rail systems in Stockholm
, Sweden. Three existing trams were tested in Oslo during 1995, and several trams were also tested in Stockholm.
The first was a six-axle articulated tram from Kassel
, Germany, with 80% low floor. The company disliked the lack of air suspension and a door construction where the doors went outwards. A Variotram
built by ABB from the Chemnitz Stadtbahn was also tested. It has 100% low-floor, is 2.65 metres (8.7 ft) wide and also has outward-opening doors. The width made it unsuitable for stopping at some of the new stops. Oslo Sporveier stated that although the tram had many nice features, it was too experimental for their liking. The final tested vehicle was a Class T tram from the Wien Tramway. The six-axle vehicle was not well-adapted for the Oslo system, since it was built after German light rail standards with high platforms and 25 metres (82 ft) curve radius, and could not be operated on the Briskeby Line
and the loop at Jar
on the Lilleaker Line.
Following the tests in Oslo, a delegation was sent to look at compatible systems outside Oslo. After it had returned, the company went into negotiations with three manufacturers: Duewag
, Bautzen
and Ansaldo/Firema. Oslo Sporveier signed a contract with Ansaldo/Firema for delivery of 17 units in 1997–98, with options for additional 15 units. The first 17 units cost , or NOK 20 million per vehicle. The option rights were later exercised, and the total order was increased to 32. This allowed Oslo Sporveier to replace all trams that were not articulated, and would give a maximum age in the tram fleet to 18 years. While Oslo Sporveier at first had planned to debt-finance the purchase, by 1999 it was decided that the trams would be leased from Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken
. Due to a labor dispute about privatizing the operation of the tramway and the Oslo Metro, the ownership of all trams and metro trains, including the SL95, were transferred to the municipally owned limited company Oslo Vognselskap in 2007.
-tram trailer. On 10 February 1997, a mock-up of the driver's cab was made in Italy and sent to Oslo to try to optimize the layout. On 8 April 1997, Oslo Sporveier decided to order an additional 13 trams. The full options were not realized due to lack of funding. At the same time it was decided that all SM91
-trams would be retired, while some SM83-trams would remain in service after the full delivery of the SL95s. By 1998, delivery date for the first vehicle, no. 141, was set to 23 May, with plans to put it into scheduled service on 23 June. The mock-up was scrapped on 12 February. However, the tram was not completed until October, when representatives for the tram company could operate it for the first time at Firema's plant. This delay was caused by the roof having blown off the plant. A NOK 1 million discount per tram was granted due to the incident.
Tram no. 141 arrived at Oslo on 5 January 1999 in three parts. They were connected together and tried within the end of the month on the entire network, prior to the delivery of tram 142. Delivery frequency was set to every two weeks. During periods from April through June, the current along sections of the Lilleaker Line was raised from 600 to 750 V; this included trials with the SL95 to ensure that it could operate under this current as well.
Tram 141 was first used in scheduled traffic on 30 May, when it was put into service on the newly extended Ullevål Hageby Line
. This line had been extended 1.6 kilometre (0.994196378639691 mi) to Rikshospitalet
, where it would serve the new national hospital. Unlike all the other lines of the tramway, this terminus
does not have a turning loop, so only bidirectional trams can operate. SL95 was the only bidirectional tram in Oslo Sporveier's fleet. Delays in the delivery caused the line to terminate at John Colletts plass
, where there is a turning loop.
Tram 142 was first used in schedule service on 1 June 1999, and 143 was delivered to Oslo on 3 June. To be able to use the trams on the desired lines, Oslo Sporveier had to upgrade its infrastructure several places. The SL95 need a vertical curve radius of 500 metres (1,640.4 ft), requiring upgrades at Wessels plass and Gamlebyen. The curves would also need to be fixed at Geita Bridge, but this was not done since the trams exceed the bridge's permitted load. The minimum permitted horizontal curve radius is 17 metres (55.8 ft), making it impossible for the trams to operate through the intersection between Riddervolds gate and Inkognitogata, where the radius is 16.5 metres (54.1 ft). This means the trams cannot operate on the Briskeby Line
, and all trams to Majorstuen
are therefore operated with SL79. Restrictions on two trams passing was issued on several shorter sections, including the S-curve from Kirkeristen to Stortorvet
, but these sections were quickly rebuilt.
By 2000, deliveries were delayed, and in June all trams were taken out of service for three weeks to modify the gearboxes. In October, ten of thirteen trams were taken out of service due to radial run-out. The problem was large enough that some trams got a new radial run-out the day after they were fixed. From 6 January 2001, SL95 could be used on the Grünerløkka–Torshov Line, and from 6 February, on the Ekeberg Line
. However, the latter still had too short platforms.
Operation proved to give several major difficulties, and by March 2001, Oslo Sporveier was threatening to terminate the purchase agreement unless the manufacturer—who by then had merged to become AnsaldoBreda—fixed the problems. These included the noise being 15 dB too loud, and trams being out of service during the January–February cold spell, when batteries and rectifier
s would not operate. It was agreed that AnsaldoBreda would have to replace all 256 motors to satisfy the criteria in the contract. By 1 June, AnsaldoBreda had delivered one tram that met all the contract's criteria. Tram 155 was by then still undelivered, and was being used for testing by the manufacturer. At the same time, 149 was being used for tests in Oslo. The trams were taken out of service, and gradually put back as they were upgraded. In February 2002, tram 155 was equipped with new motors, and a new agreement was made where all motors would be replaced by December 2003, if Oslo Sporveier was satisfied with six months of trials with 155.
The last day with SM91 in service was on 1 November 2002. By then, 27 of the SL95-trams had been delivered, and Oslo Sporveier was able to operate its entire network with only articulated trams. Until 2003, trams 142 and 149 were not in service for long-term repairs. On 8 July 2004, a computer error caused tram 161 neither to be able to run nor open the doors, even with the emergency system. This was caused by the computer indicating that the tram was running at 12.5 kilometres per hour (7.8 mph) while it stood still. All trams were later altered so the motorman could override such incidents. The final trams were delivered in 2004, and no. 142 was put into service in January 2005. At the same time, corrosion
was discovered inside the articulation of tram 141. In 2006, Oslo Sporveier introduced a program to upgrade all the SL95-trams, including removing corrosion from the bodywork and the inside, as well as simplifying the lubrication of the joints, which prior to the upgrades required the entire trams to be de-hooked. These upgrades are planned to be completed by 2009. The trams have also had problems with the air supply freezing during cold spells, making it impossible to retract the side mirrors when changing direction, and terminating the secondary suspension. This requires the trams to be operated at walking speed without passengers.
Each of the four bogies have two three-phase
asynchronous
motors on a steel bogie with two axles. The wheels have a 680 millimetres (26.8 in) diameter when new and 610 millimetres (24 in) when fully worn. The axles are rubber-suspended against the bogies, while the bogies are air-suspended
against the chassis. The motors are type MTA-F6-105V built by Ansaldo, and the eight motors have a total power output of 840 kW at 750 V. This allows a maximum speed of 80 kilometres per hour (49.7 mph) and an acceleration of 1.5 meters per second squared (4.9 ft/s2). The vehicle can be reversed, but the speed is then automatically limited to 15 kilometres per hour (9.3 mph). While the tram operated with 600 V, it had power output of 672 kW.
The vehicles have three braking systems: a primary regenerative
dynamic brake
, a secondary disc brake
and an emergency rail brake. When braking with the regenerative brake, the energy can be fed back to the overhead wires. The trams are dimensioned to operate an entire day with the dynamic brakes disconnected from one bogie, and for one hour if disconnected from two bogies, in which case only disc brakes will be used.
The trams are bidirectional, with a driver's cab at each end. These cabs are built so the motorman
can also sell tickets. The cab's have a door to close them off, so the riders cannot access rear cab. There are four doors on both sides; the front door is single while the three back doors are double. In addition to the front door, there is one door in each section. To operate the doors on the left side, the motorman must engage a security switch. It is also possible to open each individual door on the right side from the driver's cab. Half the length is low-floor, with an entry height at 350 millimetres (13.8 in), including three of the four doors. There are 88 seats, of which 64 are on the high-floor section, giving a total capacity of 212 riders.
, the SL95s also operate on that line. Due to too small curve radius on the Briskeby Line, the SL95s do not operate on any of the lines to Majorstuen. They run on the Ullevål Hageby-, Ekeberg-, Sinsen
-, Grünerløkka–Torshov-, Lilleaker- and Skøyen
lines. Each service has a ten-minute headway, giving a five-minute interval on section that are served by two lines.
In 2007, two trams were involved in an accident and sent to Firema for reparations. However, the company filed for bankruptcy, and as of October 2010 the trams were still not repaired or returned to Oslo. In 2010, Commissioner for Environmental Affairs and Transport Jøran Kallmyr (Progress Party
) stated that the SL95 trams were being considered for replacement, at the same time as the much older SL79. Problems with the units included excessive noise, excessive amount of time out of order, rust, cracks in the axles, and increased wear to the infrastructure because they weight too much.
Low-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....
, articulated tram
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 operated on the Oslo Tramway. The series is built by Ansaldo
Gio. Ansaldo & C.
Ansaldo was one of Italy's oldest and most important engineering companies, existing for 140 years from 1853 to 1993.-From foundation to World War I:...
/Firema of Italy and delivered between 1999 and 2004. Capacity for the eight-axle, three-section vehicles is 212 passengers, of which 88 can be seated. The name derives from being ordered in 1995. Original plans called for the delivery to be between 1997 and 1998. Delivery took many years due to a magnitude of technical flaws, including high noise levels, freezing during the winter and corrosion. The trams are 33.12 metres (108.7 ft) long, 2.6 metres (8.5 ft) wide and 3.62 metres (11.9 ft) tall. The aluminum vehicles weigh 64.98 tonnes (64 LT) and have a power output of 840 kW.
The trams operate all services on lines 13, 17 and 18, and some on line 19. Due to their heavy weight and large turning radius they are unsuitable for the other lines. However, they are the only bi-direction trams in the fleet, and are needed on lines 17 and 18 along the Ullevål Hageby Line
Ullevål Hageby Line
The Ullevål Hageby Line is a light rail section of the Oslo Tramway. It runs from Stortorvet in the city center of Oslo, Norway to Rikshospitalet. It passes through the areas of St. Hanshaugen, Ullevål Hageby and Blindern before reaching Gaustad...
. The trams cost about each, but discounts were awarded after the delays and technical faults.
Background
In the early 1990s, Oslo Sporveier was in need of new trams to operate on their network. Except for 40 articulated SL79SL79
SL79 is a class of 40 articulated trams operated by the Oslo Tramway of Norway. The trams were a variation of the Duewag trams that had been developed by the German manufacturer since the 1950s. The six-axle vehicles are unidirectional with four doors on the right side. The trams can seat 77...
-trams that had been delivered between 1982 and 1990, the company had several series of non-articulated trams with trailers that were built before 1960. The largest series were 13 SM53
SM53
The SM53, also called Høka trams after the manufacturer Hønefoss karosserifabrikk, were a tram model which operated for more than 40 years on the Oslo Tramway. A number of these trams were later rebuilt and became known as SM83 trams....
s, 11 rebuilt SM83s and 28 trailers, in addition to 34 SM91
SM91
SM91 is the Norwegian designation for a tram type which operated on the Oslo Tramway until 2002. The trams were imported from Sweden, where they had originally run on the Gothenburg Tramway under the designation M25. The trams were originally delivered to the Gothenburg Tramway between 1958 and 1961...
s that had been bought used from the Gothenburg Tramway
Gothenburg tram
The Gothenburg tram network is part of the public transport system organised by Göteborgs Spårvägar AB, controlled by Västtrafik in the Swedish city of Gothenburg...
in 1991. Oslo Sporveier considered several possibilities for new trams, including ordering additional SL79s, purchasing motorized trailers for SL79, purchasing new low-floor trams, purchasing trams from ČKD Tatra, purchasing the 11 used TT Class 8
TT Class 8
TT Class 8 are the only remaining trams used on the Trondheim Tramway. Built by Linke-Hofmann-Busch in 1984–85, they replaced the aging Class 7 trams used by Trondheim Trafikkselskap...
trams from Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
, rebuild the SL79s with an additional section or purchasing used articulated trams from abroad. Purchasing used material and rebuilding the SL79s was quickly rejected. An non-articulated Tatra tram was tested in Oslo during January 1991.
Storstockholms Lokaltrafik
Storstockholms Lokaltrafik AB, , commonly referred to as SL, is the organisation running all of the land based public transport systems in Stockholm County....
, who were needing new rolling stock for two light rail systems in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden. Three existing trams were tested in Oslo during 1995, and several trams were also tested in Stockholm.
The first was a six-axle articulated tram from Kassel
Kassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
, Germany, with 80% low floor. The company disliked the lack of air suspension and a door construction where the doors went outwards. A Variotram
Variotram
Variotram is a German-designed articulated low-floor tram model. Since its introduction in 1993, the Variotram has been manufactured variously by ABB, Adtranz, Bombardier Transportation, and since 2001 by Stadler Rail. As of 2009, 254 trams have been ordered, with an additional 110 on option...
built by ABB from the Chemnitz Stadtbahn was also tested. It has 100% low-floor, is 2.65 metres (8.7 ft) wide and also has outward-opening doors. The width made it unsuitable for stopping at some of the new stops. Oslo Sporveier stated that although the tram had many nice features, it was too experimental for their liking. The final tested vehicle was a Class T tram from the Wien Tramway. The six-axle vehicle was not well-adapted for the Oslo system, since it was built after German light rail standards with high platforms and 25 metres (82 ft) curve radius, and could not be operated on the Briskeby Line
Briskeby Line
The Briskeby Line is a section of the Oslo Tramway which runs between Jernbanetorget, through the neighborhoods of Briskeby and Uranienborg, before arriving at Majorstuen...
and the loop at Jar
Jar (station)
-External links:*...
on the Lilleaker Line.
DUEWAG
The DUEWAG AG was one of Germany's major manufacturers for rail vehicles. The business was sold in 1999 to Siemens transportation.- History :The company was founded in 1898 as Waggonfabrik Uerdingen AG in Uerdingen...
, Bautzen
Bautzen
Bautzen is a hill-top town in eastern Saxony, Germany, and administrative centre of the eponymous district. It is located on the Spree River. As of 2008, its population is 41,161...
and Ansaldo/Firema. Oslo Sporveier signed a contract with Ansaldo/Firema for delivery of 17 units in 1997–98, with options for additional 15 units. The first 17 units cost , or NOK 20 million per vehicle. The option rights were later exercised, and the total order was increased to 32. This allowed Oslo Sporveier to replace all trams that were not articulated, and would give a maximum age in the tram fleet to 18 years. While Oslo Sporveier at first had planned to debt-finance the purchase, by 1999 it was decided that the trams would be leased from Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken
Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken
Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB is a Swedish financial group for corporate customers, institutions and private individuals with headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. Its activities comprise mainly banking services, but SEB also carries out significant life insurance operations and also owns Eurocard...
. Due to a labor dispute about privatizing the operation of the tramway and the Oslo Metro, the ownership of all trams and metro trains, including the SL95, were transferred to the municipally owned limited company Oslo Vognselskap in 2007.
Construction and delivery
In January 1997, two bogies were installed and tested on a ST55SM53
The SM53, also called Høka trams after the manufacturer Hønefoss karosserifabrikk, were a tram model which operated for more than 40 years on the Oslo Tramway. A number of these trams were later rebuilt and became known as SM83 trams....
-tram trailer. On 10 February 1997, a mock-up of the driver's cab was made in Italy and sent to Oslo to try to optimize the layout. On 8 April 1997, Oslo Sporveier decided to order an additional 13 trams. The full options were not realized due to lack of funding. At the same time it was decided that all SM91
SM91
SM91 is the Norwegian designation for a tram type which operated on the Oslo Tramway until 2002. The trams were imported from Sweden, where they had originally run on the Gothenburg Tramway under the designation M25. The trams were originally delivered to the Gothenburg Tramway between 1958 and 1961...
-trams would be retired, while some SM83-trams would remain in service after the full delivery of the SL95s. By 1998, delivery date for the first vehicle, no. 141, was set to 23 May, with plans to put it into scheduled service on 23 June. The mock-up was scrapped on 12 February. However, the tram was not completed until October, when representatives for the tram company could operate it for the first time at Firema's plant. This delay was caused by the roof having blown off the plant. A NOK 1 million discount per tram was granted due to the incident.
Tram no. 141 arrived at Oslo on 5 January 1999 in three parts. They were connected together and tried within the end of the month on the entire network, prior to the delivery of tram 142. Delivery frequency was set to every two weeks. During periods from April through June, the current along sections of the Lilleaker Line was raised from 600 to 750 V; this included trials with the SL95 to ensure that it could operate under this current as well.
Tram 141 was first used in scheduled traffic on 30 May, when it was put into service on the newly extended Ullevål Hageby Line
Ullevål Hageby Line
The Ullevål Hageby Line is a light rail section of the Oslo Tramway. It runs from Stortorvet in the city center of Oslo, Norway to Rikshospitalet. It passes through the areas of St. Hanshaugen, Ullevål Hageby and Blindern before reaching Gaustad...
. This line had been extended 1.6 kilometre (0.994196378639691 mi) to Rikshospitalet
Rikshospitalet (station)
Rikshospitalet is a light rail tram station at the end of the Ullevål Hageby Line of the Oslo Tramway. It is located at Rikshospitalet, the Norwegian National Hospital, at Gaustad in Oslo, Norway....
, where it would serve the new national hospital. Unlike all the other lines of the tramway, this terminus
Terminal Station
Terminal Station is a 1953 film by Italian director Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of the love affair between an Italian man and an American woman. The film was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.-Production:...
does not have a turning loop, so only bidirectional trams can operate. SL95 was the only bidirectional tram in Oslo Sporveier's fleet. Delays in the delivery caused the line to terminate at John Colletts plass
John Colletts plass (station)
John Colletts plass is a light rail station on the Oslo Tramway.Located in Ullevål Hageby in Nordre Aker borough, it was opened in 1925 as the terminus of the Ullevål Hageby Line. The name was given in 1938. In 1999 the line was extended to Rikshospitalet.The most prominent building at the square...
, where there is a turning loop.
Briskeby Line
The Briskeby Line is a section of the Oslo Tramway which runs between Jernbanetorget, through the neighborhoods of Briskeby and Uranienborg, before arriving at Majorstuen...
, and all trams to Majorstuen
Majorstuen (station)
Majorstuen is a subway station on the Oslo Metro and a light rail station on the Briskeby Line of the Oslo Tramway. It is located in the Majorstuen neighborhood in the Frogner borough....
are therefore operated with SL79. Restrictions on two trams passing was issued on several shorter sections, including the S-curve from Kirkeristen to Stortorvet
Stortorvet (station)
Stortorvet is a station on the Oslo Tramway in Oslo, Norway. The station is located on the square Stortorvet in the city centre.It is served by the lines 11, 17 and 18. In 2009, it was decided to improve the square, the station and the tram tracks in the street.-References:...
, but these sections were quickly rebuilt.
By 2000, deliveries were delayed, and in June all trams were taken out of service for three weeks to modify the gearboxes. In October, ten of thirteen trams were taken out of service due to radial run-out. The problem was large enough that some trams got a new radial run-out the day after they were fixed. From 6 January 2001, SL95 could be used on the Grünerløkka–Torshov Line, and from 6 February, on the Ekeberg Line
Ekeberg Line
The Ekeberg Line is a long light rail line of the Oslo Tramway which runs from Gamlebyen to Ljabru in Oslo, Norway. Operated by lines 18 and 19, it serves the area of Nordstarand and the neighborhoods of Ekeberg, Jomfrubråten, Bekkelaget and Ljan. The line is operated by Oslo Sporvognsdrift using...
. However, the latter still had too short platforms.
Operation proved to give several major difficulties, and by March 2001, Oslo Sporveier was threatening to terminate the purchase agreement unless the manufacturer—who by then had merged to become AnsaldoBreda—fixed the problems. These included the noise being 15 dB too loud, and trams being out of service during the January–February cold spell, when batteries and rectifier
Rectifier
A rectifier is an electrical device that converts alternating current , which periodically reverses direction, to direct current , which flows in only one direction. The process is known as rectification...
s would not operate. It was agreed that AnsaldoBreda would have to replace all 256 motors to satisfy the criteria in the contract. By 1 June, AnsaldoBreda had delivered one tram that met all the contract's criteria. Tram 155 was by then still undelivered, and was being used for testing by the manufacturer. At the same time, 149 was being used for tests in Oslo. The trams were taken out of service, and gradually put back as they were upgraded. In February 2002, tram 155 was equipped with new motors, and a new agreement was made where all motors would be replaced by December 2003, if Oslo Sporveier was satisfied with six months of trials with 155.
Corrosion
Corrosion is the disintegration of an engineered material into its constituent atoms due to chemical reactions with its surroundings. In the most common use of the word, this means electrochemical oxidation of metals in reaction with an oxidant such as oxygen...
was discovered inside the articulation of tram 141. In 2006, Oslo Sporveier introduced a program to upgrade all the SL95-trams, including removing corrosion from the bodywork and the inside, as well as simplifying the lubrication of the joints, which prior to the upgrades required the entire trams to be de-hooked. These upgrades are planned to be completed by 2009. The trams have also had problems with the air supply freezing during cold spells, making it impossible to retract the side mirrors when changing direction, and terminating the secondary suspension. This requires the trams to be operated at walking speed without passengers.
Specifications
SL95 is a bidirectional, eight-axle articulated tram built exclusively for the Oslo Tramway by Ansaldo of Italy. The tram has three sections, with one bogie on the first and last section and two bogies on the center section. The body is in aluminum, with sections that are welded along the floor and roof, and bolted on the side, to ease replacement of dented sections. The trams are 33.12 metres (108.7 ft) long, 2.6 metres (8.5 ft) wide and 3.62 metres (11.9 ft) tall. The axle distance in the bogies is 1.8 metres (5.9 ft), and the distance between the bogie centers is 9.85 metres (32.3 ft) from the center to the end, and 5.17 metres (17 ft) between the two in the center. The tram weighs 64.2 tonnes (63.2 LT) empty, and 78.3 tonnes (77.1 LT) with payload.Three-phase
In electrical engineering, three-phase electric power systems have at least three conductors carrying voltage waveforms that are radians offset in time...
asynchronous
Induction motor
An induction or asynchronous motor is a type of AC motor where power is supplied to the rotor by means of electromagnetic induction. These motors are widely used in industrial drives, particularly polyphase induction motors, because they are robust and have no brushes...
motors on a steel bogie with two axles. The wheels have a 680 millimetres (26.8 in) diameter when new and 610 millimetres (24 in) when fully worn. The axles are rubber-suspended against the bogies, while the bogies are air-suspended
Air suspension
Air suspension is a type of vehicle suspension powered by an engine driven or electric air pump or compressor. This pump pressurizes the air, using compressed air as a spring. Air suspension replaces conventional steel springs. If the engine is left off for an extended period, the car will settle...
against the chassis. The motors are type MTA-F6-105V built by Ansaldo, and the eight motors have a total power output of 840 kW at 750 V. This allows a maximum speed of 80 kilometres per hour (49.7 mph) and an acceleration of 1.5 meters per second squared (4.9 ft/s2). The vehicle can be reversed, but the speed is then automatically limited to 15 kilometres per hour (9.3 mph). While the tram operated with 600 V, it had power output of 672 kW.
The vehicles have three braking systems: a primary regenerative
Regenerative brake
A regenerative brake is an energy recovery mechanism which slows a vehicle or object down by converting its kinetic energy into another form, which can be either used immediately or stored until needed...
dynamic brake
Dynamic braking
Dynamic braking is the use of the electric traction motors of a railroad vehicle as generators when slowing the Locomotive. It is termed rheostatic if the generated electrical power is dissipated as heat in brake grid resistors, and regenerative if the power is returned to the supply line...
, a secondary disc brake
Disc brake
The disc brake or disk brake is a device for slowing or stopping the rotation of a wheel while it is in motion.A brake disc is usually made of cast iron, but may in some cases be made of composites such as reinforced carbon–carbon or ceramic matrix composites. This is connected to the wheel and/or...
and an emergency rail brake. When braking with the regenerative brake, the energy can be fed back to the overhead wires. The trams are dimensioned to operate an entire day with the dynamic brakes disconnected from one bogie, and for one hour if disconnected from two bogies, in which case only disc brakes will be used.
The trams are bidirectional, with a driver's cab at each end. These cabs are built so the motorman
Motorman
A motorman is the person who operates an electrified trolley car, tram, light rail, or rapid transit train.The term refers to the person who is in charge of the motor in the same sense as a railroad engineer is in charge of the engine. The term was gender-neutral...
can also sell tickets. The cab's have a door to close them off, so the riders cannot access rear cab. There are four doors on both sides; the front door is single while the three back doors are double. In addition to the front door, there is one door in each section. To operate the doors on the left side, the motorman must engage a security switch. It is also possible to open each individual door on the right side from the driver's cab. Half the length is low-floor, with an entry height at 350 millimetres (13.8 in), including three of the four doors. There are 88 seats, of which 64 are on the high-floor section, giving a total capacity of 212 riders.
Operation
The SL95 make up 32 of the 72 trams in the system, supplementing the older SL79. The SL95s are the only bidirectional trams, and therefore the only ones that can operate on the Ullevål Hageby Line, that is served by lines 17 and 18. Since line 13 is a continuation of line 17 at SinsenSinsen (station)
Sinsen is a rapid transit station on the Ring Line of the Oslo Metro. It is located at Sinsen in the Grünerløkka borough of Oslo, Norway. Next to the station is the tram station Sinsenkrysset, that has been part of the Sinsen Line of the Oslo Tramway since 1939. The station opened on 20 August...
, the SL95s also operate on that line. Due to too small curve radius on the Briskeby Line, the SL95s do not operate on any of the lines to Majorstuen. They run on the Ullevål Hageby-, Ekeberg-, Sinsen
Sinsen Line
The Sinsen Line is part of the Oslo Tramway on the east side of the city. Most of the line is served by line 17, although the northernmost tip is served by line 13 which otherwise runs on the Grünerløkka–Torshov Line. Both services use SL95 articulated trams.-Route:The line leaves the...
-, Grünerløkka–Torshov-, Lilleaker- and Skøyen
Skøyen Line
The Skøyen Line is a tramway line running from Slottsparken to Skøyen in Oslo, Norway. It is served by line 13 of the Oslo Tramway. It connects the Briskeby Line at Slottsparken to the Lilleaker Line at Skøyen....
lines. Each service has a ten-minute headway, giving a five-minute interval on section that are served by two lines.
In 2007, two trams were involved in an accident and sent to Firema for reparations. However, the company filed for bankruptcy, and as of October 2010 the trams were still not repaired or returned to Oslo. In 2010, Commissioner for Environmental Affairs and Transport Jøran Kallmyr (Progress Party
Progress Party (Norway)
The Progress Party is a political party in Norway which identifies as conservative liberal and libertarian. The media has described it as conservative and right-wing populist...
) stated that the SL95 trams were being considered for replacement, at the same time as the much older SL79. Problems with the units included excessive noise, excessive amount of time out of order, rust, cracks in the axles, and increased wear to the infrastructure because they weight too much.