Interestingly, they are supposed to be connecting while moving:
One of its unique features is the proposal for trams to automatically connect to each other while in motion. It is planned that up to three trams can be linked within the city, and even more on suburban routes. Each 17-meter-long tram is designed to accommodate 140 passengers.
(source)
Definitelly cool - even though I struggle a bit to find a practical justification. Maybee to be able to spread the passengers more equally among free seats ?
If the can join up during travel you can get higher capacities. People coming from 3 different stations can arrive at three different stations without intervening stops or having 3² routes.
I’ve considered that - but I think that would be way to complex and unpractical. Imagine that you are a tourist and you are asked to chose a correct “tram” in a limited time and while the tram is moving (walking isn’t easy + you have to drag your luggage along ). Or imagine that each half of the passengers of each “independent module” decide to change the tram utilizing that one single door - having to walk along the tram, avoid all the other passengers… Or imagine somebody is trying to change the tram with a child carriage. Or imagine someone trying to change the tram in a wheelchair or with a walking aid. And since this is being done on the move, the driver can’t just wait another 30 seconds until most are seated - because the trams would be already disconnected again by then…
Using only two doors for onboarding / offboarding of 140 people is a bit on the edge anyway. Here in Prague current Skoda 52T uses 5 sets of (visually) much wider doors to on/off cca 240 passengers, previous Skoda 13T used 4.5 doors (one door had only single wing) to on/off cca 280 passangers - and that was already too few doors and had to be re-designed (whole inside had to be re-done, capacity was reduced). The standard Tatra T3 - the one from profile picture of this sub - had 3 doors per 110 passengers - ( but admit-ably there were stairs).
It should be noted that it is unlikely that any “practicality constrains” were given to the participants of the design competition. They just wanted something futuristic - and IMO succeeded.
Interestingly, they are supposed to be connecting while moving:
Definitelly cool - even though I struggle a bit to find a practical justification. Maybee to be able to spread the passengers more equally among free seats ?
If the can join up during travel you can get higher capacities. People coming from 3 different stations can arrive at three different stations without intervening stops or having 3² routes.
I’ve considered that - but I think that would be way to complex and unpractical. Imagine that you are a tourist and you are asked to chose a correct “tram” in a limited time and while the tram is moving (walking isn’t easy + you have to drag your luggage along ). Or imagine that each half of the passengers of each “independent module” decide to change the tram utilizing that one single door - having to walk along the tram, avoid all the other passengers… Or imagine somebody is trying to change the tram with a child carriage. Or imagine someone trying to change the tram in a wheelchair or with a walking aid. And since this is being done on the move, the driver can’t just wait another 30 seconds until most are seated - because the trams would be already disconnected again by then…
Using only two doors for onboarding / offboarding of 140 people is a bit on the edge anyway. Here in Prague current Skoda 52T uses 5 sets of (visually) much wider doors to on/off cca 240 passengers, previous Skoda 13T used 4.5 doors (one door had only single wing) to on/off cca 280 passangers - and that was already too few doors and had to be re-designed (whole inside had to be re-done, capacity was reduced). The standard Tatra T3 - the one from profile picture of this sub - had 3 doors per 110 passengers - ( but admit-ably there were stairs).
It should be noted that it is unlikely that any “practicality constrains” were given to the participants of the design competition. They just wanted something futuristic - and IMO succeeded.