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Stainless Steel from ThyssenKrupp Nirosta Upgrades Streetcar Fleet

09/24/2010 - The last of a total of 19 new streetcars operated by SWK MOBIL recently went into regular service in Krefeld. A total of 90 tonnes of Nirosta 4003 stainless steel was used in the side wall frames, various articulated joints, and the front end of the cars.

The last of a total of 19 new streetcars operated by SWK MOBIL recently went into regular service in Krefeld; large parts of the streetcar bodies were built from stainless steel made in Krefeld by ThyssenKrupp Nirosta.
A total of 90 tonnes of Nirosta 4003 stainless steel was used in the side wall frames, various articulated joints, and the front end of the cars.
 
Krefeld’s new low-floor streetcars are based on the proven Flexity Outlook design from Bombardier that is already being used in cities such as Geneva, Brussels, Valencia, Augsburg, and Alicante. SWK MOBIL invested about 45 million euros in the 19 vehicles. The first one entered service in December 2009.
 
 “We knew that our vehicles would be original products of North Rhine-Westphalia. They were manufactured and assembled by Bombardier in Aachen, the undercarriages were made in Siegen, and the electrical systems in Düsseldorf,” said Guido Stilling, Managing Director of SWK MOBIL. “So of course we were particularly pleased that the stainless steel used was produced right here at ThyssenKrupp Nirosta.”
 
“The versatility, excellent formability and durability of stainless steels make them a material of choice for more and more manufacturers in the transport sector,” said Wolfgang Gebel, a technical customer advisor at ThyssenKrupp Nirosta. “Even low-gauge sheet displays high strength and stiffness and makes a major contribution to innovative lightweight designs.”
 
SWK Stadtwerke Krefeld AG and its subsidiaries offer a range of products and services for Krefeld and the surrounding region from a single source. One of its core competencies is the provision of public transit services through SWK MOBIL, which transports more than 40 million passengers a year through Krefeld and the region by bus and rail. Its streetcars alone carry around 65,000 people daily.
 
ThyssenKrupp Nirosta is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of stainless flat products with a range of stainless steel grades, sizes, and finishes. The company has several sites in Germany and employs around 4200 people.