Leipzig Tram, Solaris Bus & Coach S.A.
2013 - 2016
Long before it was clear which manufacturer would deliver the new Leipzig tram, the Leipzig Transport authority (LVB) had decided that the IFS should do the Design. A design concept was developed together with the Leipzig Transport authority (LVB), which later became part of the tender documents. There were clear guidelines for the design of the exterior and interior as well as the driver’s cab. Finally, the contract was awarded to Solaris Bus & Coach S.A. , which developed the new tram for Leipzig together with IFS Design up to serial production. During the trial, the new railway was first camouflaged as Erlkönig. On the 13th of July 2017 followed the solemn commissioning of the new XL.
The new tram is characterized by the overarching design theme of asymmetry. An unique selling point for Leipzig was the fact that the head and tail of the track are not identical, which means that the direction of the traffic is clearly shown to the passengers.
In addition to comprehensive project support, IFS Design continued the construction from the first sketch on a white sheet to serial production, of a 1:20 model and 1: 1 model of the driver ‘s cab and the construction of an interior section in the ratio of 1: 1. The latter was introduced in 2016 at the international rail vehicle fair “Innotrans” in Berlin (see video below).
You could find the official prasentation video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_jZZKWb2aE