More CNG buses of Solaris to be deployed in Tallinn – up to 150 this time!

Representatives of Solaris Bus & Coach and of the Estonian operator Aktsiaselts Tallinna Linnatransport (TLT) have signed a deal for the supply of 100 environmentally friendly city buses propelled with compressed natural gas (CNG). 75 of the commissioned buses are Solaris Urbino 12 vehicles, while the remaining 25 are articulated Urbino 18 units. The deliveries are scheduled to end in 2022. The contract is worth nearly EUR 27 million. In line with the contract, TLT may, optionally, increase its order, commissioning another 20 Urbino 12 CNG and 30 Urbino 18 CNG buses.

The capital of Estonia is among the leading smart cities of the world, this meaning cities that take advantage of information and communication technologies in order to improve the interactivity and efficiency of urban infrastructure. So it comes as no surprise that the largest public transport operator in Estonia  – Aktsiaselts Tallinna Linnatransport – has once again decided to sign a significant deal with Solaris for vehicles running on compressed natural gas. Some 200 vehicles of Solaris, commissioned by TLT from 2019 to 2020, are already deployed in Tallinn. Once the contract is performed, up to 95 environmentally friendly Solaris Urbino 12 CNG and up to 55 articulated Solaris Urbino 18 CNG buses will join that fleet. The order is worth nearly EUR 27 million.

“With this agreement, we are fulfilling our goal of bringing a total of 350 gas buses to the route. We have reason to be proud because next year the Tallinn bus will celebrate its 100th anniversary and the new buses will be the best gift for the residents of Tallinn. Thanks to this, TLT lowers the average age of rolling stock to 5 years, which is remarkable not only in Estonia, but with this result we can compete with any public transport in the European capital. Of course, the positive impact of the introduction of gas buses on the urban environment is not insignificant. When all gas buses reach the route, CO2 emissions into the city will be reduced by about 25,000 tons per year, which is estimated to be comparable to the emissions of 7,000 passenger cars with internal combustion engines.” stated Deniss Boroditš, CEO of Tallinna Linnatranspordi AS.

“I would like to express my gratitude to the largest public transport operator in Estonia for the trust placed in our brand. It is an enormous distinction for our company to have been selected in a tendering process as a supplier of up to 150 CNG buses for TLT in Tallinn. I am convinced that employees of TLT and passengers alike will appreciate the benefits gained from the new vehicles. Natural gas serves as one of the alternatives for low-emission public transport. This new order placed by TLT is a huge investment not only in modern, safe and comfortable municipal transport, but above all in clean air and improved quality of life” noted Petros Spinaris, member of the Management Board of Solaris Bus & Coach sp. z o.o. for Sales, Marketing and Customer Service.

In both new vehicle type, i.e. the 12-metre and the 18-metre versions, the heart of the vehicles will be a 235 kW engine adapted to use compressed natural gas (CNG). Furthermore the engine will be modified to perform even better under unfavourable weather conditions thanks to the cold start function that facilitates starting the engine at very low temperatures. Five tanks used to store compressed natural gas, holding a total of 1575 litres for the Urbino 12 and 1875 litres - for the articulated buses, will be stacked on the bus roof in its front part.

The operator has also put its money on high equipment standard, installed in both the passenger compartment, as well as the driver’s cabin. In the spacious, air-conditioned bus interior passengers will profit from a state-of-the-art and comprehensive passenger information system, USB ports that enable the recharging of mobile devices, and camera surveillance for better security. Featuring an automatic passenger counting system, the buses will fit at least 80 passengers  – in the case of the Urbino 12, and 140 persons – in the case of the Urbino 18.

The fully closed-off driver’s cabin has been designed for the purpose of making it a safe and ergonomic work place for drivers. A fire detection signalling and extinguishing system have been added to the panel, as well as reversing sensors. Rain and dusk sensors will provide assistance to the driver when the vehicle is operated under unfavourable weather conditions.

The eco-friendly Solaris vehicles have been a familiar sight in the Estonian capital since 2002. The manufacturer has supplied over 50 zero-emission trolleybuses of the Trollino type and 200 Urbino CNG buses to Talllinn. At present, over 1500 low-emission Urbino CNG are deployed in 66 European cities, among others in countries such as Estonia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Italy, France, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands.

In the group photo (from left): Javier Calleja (CEO of Solaris), Deniss Boroditš (CEO of TLT), Andrei Novikov (Deputy Mayor of Tallinn), Otto Popel (Member of Management Board of TLT), Petros Spinaris (Member of the Management Board of Solaris)