4. Rolling stock

A tram-train is a tramway that can run both on urban lines and on suburban railroads, which until now have been exclusively used by trains pulled or pushed by locomotives weighing 80 to 120 t.

The challenge in designing a tram-train vehicle is to make it compatible with both urban tramways and railroads. For city traffic, the driver's cab needs to offer the same vision of the outside environment as urban streetcars. The consistency and shape of the ends also need to be carefully considered, so that a tram-train in the city is no more aggressive than a tramway to pedestrians, cyclists and cars. Traction-braking controls must be similar in function and layout. As a tram-train running in the city stops at the same stations as urban streetcars, it is important that all doors open onto low-floor platforms, both to minimize stopping times and to allow access for disabled...