The Zagreb-based tram manufacturer Crotram brought a 32-metre low-carriage tram to Finland last week for a trial run by Helsinki City Transport (HKL).
The Croatian tram was put on the tracks early on Tuesday morning, while an assembly crew of 24 Croatian members observed the process at close quarters.
Until now HKL has had merely bad experiences of low-carriage trams, as the German Variotram trams have suffered from problems right from the start. They were introduced in Finland in 1999.
While the repair of the faulty trams is part of the warranty contained in the purchase contract between HKL and the German manufacturer Bombardier, HKL also has the option of cancelling the EUR 76 million deal with Bombardier, if the manufacturer does not manage by the beginning of 2009 to keep in service 85 per cent of the 40 trams ordered.
HKL calculates that it will need approximately 40 new trams in the period from 2009 to 2016 to replace ageing vehicles, while the Croatian tram manufacturer has decided to take part in the bidding contest that will start next spring.
A decision on the acquisition of new trams is expected to be made in 2009.
