Liebherr-Transportation Systems maintains roll couplings for Combino low-floor trams in Basel

Liebherr-Transportation Systems has received an order from Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe (Switzerland) to provide maintenance for the hydraulic roll couplings of 28 Combino low-floor trams manufactured by Siemens. The work will be performed on a total of 156 control cylinders and 78 hydraulic accumulators and will be completed in 2020.

The hydraulically coupled roll joints were developed for Combino vehicles by Siemens in Basel and Bern in collaboration with Liebherr. The system reduces the strain on the car body structure and chassis components on uneven or winding tracks, for example, because the hydraulically coupled roll joints between the car bodies can rotate independently of each other. In order to prevent the car bodies from rolling in to each other, a transverse coupling bar has been installed between the car bodies in the roof area of each vehicle.

The system thus provides greater protection against derailing due to twisting and considerably contributes towards increasing the service life and reliability of the low-floor trams. A patented circuit configuration automatically corrects any misalignments.

This order strengthens the market presence of Liebherr-Transportation Systems in Switzerland for the long term.