Vienna Lines Convert Radio Cars to Electric Drive
Radio cars are an essential part of the daily work of Wiener Linien. They are used whenever there is a problem in the network. This can include illegally parked cars that obstruct operations, damage to the tracks, a traffic accident, or a damaged overhead line. In such cases, the operations management staff are immediately on site. They assess the situation and decide, in coordination with the control center and the emergency services on site, what measures are necessary to quickly restore operations. In the interest of sustainability, these radio cars are now being converted to new fully electric emergency vehicles. The modern VW ID.4 models will replace 50 percent of the previous diesel vehicles starting in early April.
Wiener Linien radio cars are being converted to electric drive
With more than 900 vehicles in peak operation and around 2.4 million passengers per day, Wiener Linien is the backbone of public transport in Vienna. Whenever problems arise, the control center is informed. Thus, around 1,400 radio conversations and 300 phone calls with internal and external emergency services are handled by the control center daily. It is also decided there whether a radio car needs to be dispatched. On average, this happens 20 to 50 times a day. This means the operations management sets off with the radio car to the incident and assesses the situation on site - an important interface to other emergency services.
Sustainability and driving comfort
The total of eight radio cars of the operations management are in use around the clock throughout the network and are often the first on site in case of disruptions or emergencies. The radio cars are on the road across multiple shifts and cover between 120 and 240 kilometers daily. By switching to electric radio cars, nearly 25 tons of CO₂ can be saved annually.
Sustainability and driving comfort go hand in hand: Since the operations management is often on the road for hours in the vehicle, special attention was paid to ergonomic seats, reliability, and good practicality, explains Özgür Akpinar, head of operations management.
Currently, half of the radio car fleet remains diesel-powered. This ensures that the emergency vehicles are always ready for use even in the event of a blackout. With this conversion, Wiener Linien is setting a clear signal for environmentally friendly innovations and sustainable mobility – while also ensuring that Vienna continues to travel safely and reliably with public transport.
(Red)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.