Stuttgart Tramways receives funding for fleet expansion and new depot

STUTTGART City Council voted on May 9 to allocate €72.5m in grant funding to Stuttgart Tramways (SSB) for the acquisition of 23 new LRVs and the construction of a new depot.

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The city says ever-increasing ridership and expansion of the Stuttgart tram network make the acquisition of additional rolling stock a necessity.

The city’s investment includes €40m towards the €87.7m cost of 20 additional DT8.12 LRVs from Stadler, which are being ordered without any funding from the state of Baden-Württemberg.

These vehicles will increase SSB’s LRV fleet to 224 vehicles. With the expansion of the fleet, SSB will require additional depot capacity. A site at Ditzingen in the north of the city was identified for SSB’s fourth tram depot in October 2018. Construction is due to begin in 2023 with commissioning scheduled for 2025. The city will contribute €25m towards the €60m project and SSB is also seeking a further grant through the federal government’s Municipal Transport Financing Act (GVFG).

The city is also providing €7.5m towards the €17.7m cost of three new rack-equipped LRVs and three bicycle cars for Line 10, which runs from Marienplatz to Degerloch.