MVG, the operator of the light rail network in the German city of Mainz, has ordered 22 ForCity Smart low-floor LRVs from Škoda Group in a deal valued at over €100m.
The contract includes an option for additional eight LRVs. The purchase is largely funded by MVG’s parent company, Mainzer Stadtwerke, with additional contributions of €12m from the city of Mainz and €5m from the state of Rheinland-Pfalz.
The LRVs are scheduled for delivery between 2028 and 2030. They will replace MVG’s remaining six high-floor M8C vehicles, which entered service in the 1980s, and 16 GT6M-ZR low-floor LRVs dating from 1996.
At 43.5m in length, the new LRVs are significantly longer than the vehicles they replace and will accommodate up to 258 passengers, including 96 seated. The M8C and GT6M-ZR models can carry up to 139 and 143 passengers, respectively.
The new air-conditioned LRVs will feature step-free access, multifunctional spaces with room for four wheelchairs, and additional space for pushchairs and bicycles. Each LRV will also be equipped with Wi-Fi, USB charging ports, and large passenger information displays.
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