At the beginning of the year Solaris reported about winning an order for 300 intercity buses of the InterUrbino type for Cotral, an intercity transport operator in the central-Italian region of Lazio. Moreover, the Italian customer may choose to increase the order by 20% using so called “option” up to 360 vehicles in total. If Cotral were to use the option, then the order would be record-breaking in the history of Solaris.
The bus model ordered by operator Cotral is the Solaris InterUrbino 12. The first deliveries took place mid-October this year. By the end of 2016 the company will have handed over 60 InterUrbinos in total. The remaining 240 vehicles will be supplied over the next two years.
“It is the biggest one-off order for the supply of InterUrbinos in the history of our company. It was all the more a success for us because it comes from Italy, one the most important export markets. Hence I would like to express my gratitude to our partner who has placed his trust in us. We can only avow that we will do our utmost to ensure the full satisfaction of passengers to use Cotral’s services with the purchase of Solaris buses,” Dr. Andreas Strecker, CEO of Solaris, declared.
“The excellent work of Solaris Bus & Coach in Italy during last 10 year has enabled the achievement of this important result. We are honoured to be counted among the Cotral SPA suppliers, the biggest operator for intercity buses in Italy” said Alberto Fiore, Managing Director of Solaris Italia.
The state-of-the-art 12-metre InterUrbinos will serve regional lines for the administrative region of Lazio located right in the centre of the Apennine Peninsula. The drive unit is a 240 kW engine DAF MX 11, meeting the highly restrictive Euro 6 emissions standards. The buses will be equipped with a modern CCTV system consisting of 5 cameras that ensures the surveillance of the interior, the second door, as well as the area behind the vehicle. What is more, the InterUrbino will contain a passenger counting system and a voice announcement system. A total of 53 + 16 (standing) passengers will be able to travel on comfortable seats with integrated headrests. An efficient air conditioning will ensure relaxing travel conditions even at the hottest of days. Larger luggage will be carried in cargo hatches of 5.2 cubic metres located right under the vehicle floor, whereas hand baggage will be stowed away by passengers on shelves above the seats.
The contract with Cotral is the first order concerning intercity buses of this magnitude landed in Italy. Up until now the Polish bus maker has supplied 60 InterUrbino intercity buses for the Italian market. All in all, there are currently over 600 buses of Solaris cruising across Italian roads.
It has also been one of the biggest orders in the 20-year history of Solaris. It was second only to the supply of 320 buses to Athens in 2009, although if Cotral were to use the option of increasing its order to 360 vehicles, then the order would be indeed record-breaking.
In the picture (from right): Ing. Giuseppe Ferraro, Manager of the enginering and fleet maintenance at Cotral, Alberto Fiore, Managing Director Solaris Italia, Francesco Tusino, Solaris Italia, Ing. Francesca Bisin, Maintenance Engineer at Cotral, Ing. Renato Romanelli, Maintenance Engineer at Cotral
Information Solaris
Solaris Bus & Coach sp. z o.o. is one of the leading producers of city and intercity buses in Europe. It focuses in particular on the development of zero-emission vehicles, i. e. electric and hydrogen buses as well as trolleybuses. This has resulted in the widest zero-emission product range in the European market and a leading position in this segment with a market share of 15.2%. Nearly 25,000 Solaris vehicles have been delivered so far and they ply the streets in 850 towns and cities across 33 countries located throughout Europe as well as beyond it. Solaris is part of the Spanish CAF Group (Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles) S.A. From conception, to the design and manufacturing phases, all Solaris buses are produced in Poland. Moreover, all activities undertaken by the manufacturer are in line with the brand’s mission, which is reflected in the motto “We are changing the image of public transport”. Solaris also actively partners with public transport operators and provides them with comprehensive support in their transition to zero-emission mobility.
Additional information
Mateusz Figaszewski
E-mobility Development & Market Intelligence Director
mateusz.figaszewski@solarisbus.com
