Siemens Combino

The Siemens Combino is a low-floor tram produced by Siemens Mobility, formerly Duewag. The first prototype was built in 1996 at the Duewag works in Düsseldorf, and later trams were built in Krefeld-Uerdingen. Its modular design, which uses standardised components, kept costs down and for a time made the Combino one of the most successful tram types, sold in six countries with a further development sold to two others. The tram is largely made of aluminium and can be built in different lengths, widths and gauges, from 20 metres in the three-section version up to a 54 metre six-section Combino Plus in Budapest. All versions have a 300 millimetre floor height and a 10 tonne axle load. In March 2004 Siemens admitted stability problems, with cracks around the articulations between modules, and affected vehicles were taken out of service and rebuilt. Later versions were renamed Avenio.