A KT4D tram at the Waltershausen Gleisdreieck station – ©Thüringer Waldbahn und Straßenbahn Gotha GmbH

In the German state of Thuringia, the Ruf Group has upgraded existing vehicles of the transport company Thüringer Waldbahn und Straßenbahn Gotha GmbH (TWSB) with modern emergency communication systems as part of a retrofit project. Following the modernisation, the trams now comply with current safety requirements and offer passengers a higher level of security.

The Gotha tram system is a meter-gauge tram network in the city of Gotha, located in the German state of Thuringia. It is connected to the Thüringer Waldbahn, an interurban tramway running to the northern edge of the Thuringian Forest. Both networks are operated by Thüringer Waldbahn und Straßenbahn Gotha GmbH (TWSB) and include a total of five lines..

The TWSB fleet currently consists of 19 vehicles from various manufacturers, including KT4D trams produced by the Czech manufacturer ČKD Tatra. These classic trams, built in 1990, were acquired from Erfurt’s tram network between 2001 and 2008 and have since been reliably operating on TWSB’s network.

New Regulation
However, the KT4D trams were not previously equipped with emergency communication systems, which are now mandated by a newly enacted regulation. To comply with the legal requirements by the end of 2024, TWSB sought a suitable and quickly implementable solution to ensure continued operation of the trams.

The decision was made to install the VisiWeb® emergency communication system from the Ruf Group—an established market solution known for its flexibility in adapting to customer-specific requirements. The VisiWeb emergency communication system had already proven its reliability in a similar retrofit project with HAVAG in Halle (Saale), in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt.

Regulation Requires Emergency Communication System
The Regulation on the Construction and Operation of Trams (BOStrab) stipulates the following requirement in § 46 “Information Facilities,” Paragraph 5. (Note that the following text is an unofficial translation of the legal text. It is provided for convenience only and has no legal effect. The legally binding version is the original German text.)

§ 46 Information Facilities
(5)Passenger vehicles of a train that are not staffed by operational personnel must have permanently available facilities for emergency voice communication between passengers and the vehicle operator.

This requirement came into effect in October 2019, with the transition period for implementation ending in December 2024.

On-Site Tram Retrofit
At the end of 2024, four KT4D trams were retrofitted on-site in Gotha by Ruf system engineers with the VisiWeb emergency communication system. The newly installed VisiWeb passenger communication units in the passenger area feature a large button with an engraved “SOS” label, making it easy for visually impaired individuals to identify. A red illuminated LED ring signals operational readiness. When a passenger presses the button, a direct voice connection to the operating staff is established. The emergency call activation is both visually and audibly confirmed by the passenger communication unit.

Emergency Calls in Multiple-Unit Operations
TWSB also operates multiple-unit trains, where two trams are coupled together, with the rear vehicle running without operational staff. To ensure that emergency calls from the rear tram reliably reach the operating personnel, the digital signal from the VisiWeb passenger communication unit is converted and transmitted via two existing lines through the vehicle coupling.

Cost-Effective and Sustainable
Thanks to this retrofit, the trams can remain in operation for many more years. The service life of the vehicles has been sustainably extended, ensuring long-term protection of investments. At the same time, resources have been conserved, and material usage has been minimised.

©Thüringer Waldbahn und Straßenbahn Gotha GmbH

Links:
Thüringer Waldbahn und Straßenbahn Gotha GmbH
VisiWeb Passenger Information Systems
Ruf refits trams in Halle (Saale) with emergency intercom systems
Polybahn fährt mit Notsprechsystem von Ruf
New vehicles of Métro de Lille equipped with Ruf’s VisiWeb System