COTRAL, the Rome-based carrier in charge of regional transport, has just signed another framework contract with Solaris Bus & Coach S.A. for the supply of up to 300 intercity buses of the InterUrbino type. It is the yet another order of considerable size for that bus model of the Polish manufacturer. Having completed the agreement from 2016 for the delivery of 360 InterUrbino buses in total, the Italian operator decided in favour of more deliveries by Solaris.
Solaris Bus & Coach S.A. has just signed a framework agreement for the supply of 300 intercity buses InterUrbino. Covering also ten years’ worth of maintenance services, the contract is worth EUR 117 million. The first order for 50 units is to be carried out in 2019. The vehicles will be put to use on bus routes connecting the towns of the Rome Province and of the whole Lazio Region.
- The first intercity Solaris buses delivered to Rome in 2016 already have over 300,000 km on the meter. The high degree of vehicle reliability was one of the criteria for which Cotral again decided to choose our InterUrbino - said Alberto Fiore, Managing Director of Solaris Italia.
The commissioned 12-metre InterUrbino are cutting-edge intercity buses specialising in the transport of passengers on longer distances, on routes reaching beyond city limits. 67 passengers can stay on board, with seats available to 55 of them. In addition, the vehicles will have a space dedicated to hand baggage inside the bus (shelves above the seats), as well as a luggage compartment outside (electrically blocked luggage hold with a capacity of 5.2 m2). The driveline in the intercity buses of Solaris consists of DAF MX-11 engines with a power of 251 kW, meeting the restrictive Euro 6 stage D emissions standards.
The rich equipment of the buses will cover among others a comprehensive video surveillance system, passenger counting gates, or a voice announcement system. The carrier decided to also use the function MobilEye – a safety system for drivers. Supported by a lane-keeping assistant, the drivers will be warned about leaving the lane in an uncontrolled manner, which is one of the biggest threats in road traffic potentially.
The Solaris InterUrbino model is particularly popular in Italy. So far, the Polish manufacturer has delivered over 400 buses of that type to the Apennine Peninsula, and a total of nearly 1000 vehicles of all types made by Solaris, including electric buses and trolleybuses are currently cruising on Italian roads.
The recently signed deal is one of the biggest commissions in the history of the firm. Once the contract is performed, there might be up to 660 InterUrbino buses riding across Rome and its suburbs. Apart from the aforementioned contracts, record-size orders were also placed by customers from Athens (320), Berlin (260) or Dubai (225).
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
