Firema T-68
| Manchester Metrolink T-68/T-68A | |
|---|---|
T-68 1011 in Manchester city centre in July 2008 | |
Interior of the prototype T-68 | |
| In service | 6 April 1992 – 30 April 2014 |
| Manufacturer | Firema, T68A Firema and Ansaldo |
| Built at | Italy |
| Constructed | T-68: 1991–1992 T-68A: 1999 |
| Refurbished | 2007–2010 midlife refurbishment, T-68 gain retractable couplers and covered bogies 2010–2012 reliability modifications, LCD screens, LED lights, driver's cab air conditioning |
| Number built | 32 Total (T-68: 26 T-68A: 6) |
| Number preserved | 2 |
| Number scrapped | 27 |
| Successor | Bombardier M5000 |
| Formation | 2 carriages |
| Fleet numbers | T-68: 1001-1026 T-68A: 2001-2006 |
| Capacity | 82/4 seats, 122 standing per vehicle |
| Operators | Metrolink |
| Lines served | Altrincham, Bury, Eccles |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Steel |
| Car length | 29 m (95 ft 1+3⁄4 in) |
| Width | 2.65 m (8 ft 8+3⁄8 in) |
| Height | 3.7 m (12 ft 1+5⁄8 in) |
| Articulated sections | 2 |
| Maximum speed | 50 mph (80 km/h) |
| Weight | 49 tonnes (48 long tons; 54 short tons) per vehicle. |
| Traction system | T-68A: GTO–VVVF |
| Traction motors | T-68: 4 × 105 kW (141 hp) separately excited DC motors T-68A: 4 × 120 kW (160 hp) 3–phase AC motors |
| Electric system(s) | 750 V DC OHLE |
| Current collector(s) | Brecknell Willis high reach pantograph |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Part of a series of articles on |
| Manchester Metrolink |
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The Firema T-68 was a model of light rail passenger vehicle first operated on the Manchester Metrolink network in Greater Manchester, England in 1992. It was constructed by Firema specifically as a high-floor, articulated bi-directional tram to operate solely on the Manchester Metrolink system.
Twenty-six T-68s were manufactured by Firema at their factories in Italy. Six modified variants (known as the T-68A) were produced in 1999 in a joint project by Firema and Ansaldo. All 32 were replaced by Bombardier M5000s between 2012 and 2014, as the Bombardier trams were significantly more reliable than the T-68s.