Misplaced Pages

Siemens Combino

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.

A low-floor tram is a tram that has no steps between one or more entrances and part or all of the passenger cabin. The low-floor design improves the accessibility of the tram for the public, and also may provide larger windows and more airspace.

#251748

77-642: The Siemens Combino is a low-floor tram produced by Siemens Mobility (formerly Duewag ). The first prototype was produced in 1996 at the Duewag works in Düsseldorf ; the trams were later built in Krefeld - Uerdingen . Due to its modular design using standardised components, and the resulting reduced costs, the Combino was for a time one of the most successful tram types. They were sold in six countries and

154-541: A high-floor vehicle serving high-platform stops. Currently both types are in use, depending on the station platform infrastructure in existing rail systems. Some systems may make use of former railway alignments where use of existing high platforms is desirable, while others, particularly new systems, may not have the space to site high-level platforms in urban centres. Trams traditionally had high floors, and articulated tram designs evolved with low-floor centre sections. Examples of this design are Amsterdam 11G/12G-trams and

231-589: A multi-articulated design with alternating wheeled and suspended sections. For Metro Transportes Sul de Tejo and in Budapest , Siemens developed a new version called the Combino Plus or Combino Supra . Unlike the Combino, it does not have suspended sections but rather two axles under each body section. In essence, it is like a train of two axle cars. This design has been developed into the Avenio . The tram

308-456: A BMW M67 3.9-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine. They are used on a tram-train service along part of the unelectrified Harzquerbahn . On March 12, 2004, Siemens admitted to problems concerning the stability of the car bodies and, as a precautionary measure, instructed all public transportation services to take all Combinos with a service distance of more than 120,000 kilometres (74,565 mi) out of service. The torsion forces produced when

385-564: A further development was sold to two others. In 2007, a new generation of Combinos was sold to Bern , known as the Combino Classic. This was an updated version of the original design intended to correct defects in the joints between modules. Fourteen of these were produced in 2011 with 12 going to Erfurt and two to Nordhausen . Subsequently, the model was again renamed and is now known as the Avenio M. The original Combino trams were

462-510: A major route crossing where the north–south rail line from the Brenner Pass to Rome intersects with the east–west line between Milan and Venice, giving the city rail access to most of Europe. In addition to regional and local services, the city is served by direct international trains to Zurich, Innsbruck, and Munich. ÖBB nightjet provides overnight sleeper service via Verona on its La Spezia to Wien and München lines. Verona's main station

539-565: A rare case in the architecture of the epoque. It originally straddled the main Roman road into the city, now Corso Cavour. It was demolished by French troops in 1805 and rebuilt in 1932. Nearby is the Porta Borsari , an archway at the end of Corso Porta Borsari. This is the façade of a 3rd-century gate in the original Roman city walls . The inscription is dated 245 AD and gives the city name as Colonia Verona Augusta . Corso Porta Borsari,

616-544: A suburb of Verona, and was created in 1929. However, they ceased to exist in 2021 due to outstanding tax payments. As of the 2021–22 season, Hellas plays in the first division of Italian football , Serie A , while Virtus Verona , the other club in the city, plays in the Serie C . The teams of Hellas and Chievo contested the Derby della Scala and shared the 38,402-seater Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi (now only home to Hellas due to

693-498: A tender for low-floor trams. Siemens won the contract with Combino. Poznań ordered 14 trams, each consisting of five modules, three double doors and three bogies , identical to the Amsterdam version. The first Combino entered service at the end of 2003. Due to flaws in construction, not all trams were in active service. An agreement between Poznań and Siemens provided that the city would pay the fraction (31%) of trams' cost only after

770-551: A three-stage process of rebuilding the 454 vehicles affected. Under this process the Combino modules were reinforced to give an expected 30-year life. Around 500 trams went into service in the following cities: Twenty-two trams were ordered for a planned tram network in Verona and ten for the Alicante tram network , but the contracts were cancelled because of the technical problems noted in this article. The prototype Combino tram

847-773: A unique appearance compared to any other trams running at the time, they earned a number of nicknames, including hobble skirt cars, public welfare cars, and sow bellies. Typical floor heights of low-floor trams are 300 to 350 mm (11.8 to 13.8 in), and the Ultra Low Floor tram has a floor height of only 180 mm (7.1 in). For comparison high-floor trams are typically more than 600 mm (23.6 in) and rapid transit using heavy rail trains has floor heights of 800 to 1,200 mm (31.5 to 47.2 in). Verona Verona ( / v ə ˈ r oʊ n ə / və- ROH -nə ; Italian: [veˈroːna] ; Venetian : Verona or Veròna )

SECTION 10

#1732783312252

924-560: Is 43 compared to the Italian average of 42. In the five years between 2002 and 2007, the population of Verona grew by 3.05%, while Italy as a whole grew by 3.85%. The current birth rate of Verona is 9.24 births per 1,000 inhabitants compared to the Italian average of 9.45 births. As of 2009 , 87% of the population was Italian . The largest immigrant group comes from other European nations (the largest coming from Romania ): 3.60%, South Asia : 2.03%, and sub-saharan Africa 1.50%. The city

1001-669: Is a city on the River Adige in Veneto , Italy, with 258,031 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region, and is the largest city municipality in the region and in northeastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona covers an area of 1,426 km (550.58 sq mi) and has a population of 714,310 inhabitants. It is one of the main tourist destinations in Northern Italy because of its artistic heritage and several annual fairs and shows as well as

1078-546: Is a segmental arch bridge . At the time of its completion in 1356, it was the world's largest bridge arch. It has a span length of 48.70 m (159.78 ft). The city has two professional football teams. Historically, the city's major team has been Hellas Verona . They won the Italian Serie A championship in 1984–85 and played in the European Cup the following year. Chievo Verona represented Chievo ,

1155-407: Is an open archaeological site , and the remains of the original Roman street and gateway foundations can be seen a few feet below the present street level. As can be seen from there, the gate contains a small court guarded by towers. Here, carriages and travelers were inspected before entering or leaving the city. The Santo Stefano church is dedicated to the first Christian martyr, was erected in

1232-595: Is built of alternating tracks of brick and stone, and has two cylindrical towers, housing spiral staircases to the women's galleries. The interior is sober but still quiet. The striped bands of stone and brick and the graceful arches complement the setting. Santa Maria Antica is a small Romanesque church that served as the private chapel of the Scaligeri clan, and is famous for the Gothic Scaliger Tombs . The Verona Cathedral , also known as

1309-455: Is largely made out of aluminium , with a welded underframe to which the body framework is bolted in sections, which means that the Combino can easily be adapted to different lengths, widths and gauges . The length of the trams varies from 20 metres (65 ft 7 in) for the three-section version used in Erfurt, Nordhausen and Melbourne, to a world record 54 metres (177 ft 2 in) for

1386-552: Is predominantly Roman Catholic , but due to immigration now has some Orthodox Christian , and Muslim followers. Since the local government political reorganization in 1993, Verona has been governed by the City Council of Verona, which is based in Palazzo Barbieri . Voters elect directly 33 councilors and the mayor of Verona every five years. Verona is also the capital of its own province. The Provincial Council

1463-687: Is scheduled to host the 2026 Winter Olympics closing ceremonies. The precise details of Verona's early history remain a mystery along with the origin of its name. One theory is that it was a city of the Euganei , who were obliged to give it up to the Cenomani (550 BC). With the conquest of the Valley of the Po , the Veronese territory became Roman about 300 BC. Verona became a Roman colonia in 89 BC. It

1540-575: Is seated in Palazzo del Governo . The current mayor of Verona is Damiano Tommasi , elected on 26 June 2022. Verona has traditionally been a right-wing traditionalist Catholic city, reflecting its former status as one of the major cities of Italian Social Republic , and the right-wing politics of the Veneto region. In October 2018, Verona became the first city in Italy to declare itself pro-life, and hosted

1617-551: Is today Via Colombo. This marked another turning point in the escalation of violence that would only end with the final liberation by allied troops and partisans on 26 April 1945. After World War II, as Italy joined the NATO alliance, Verona once again acquired its strategic importance, due to its geographical closeness to the Iron Curtain . The city became the seat of SETAF (South European Allied Terrestrial Forces) and had during

SECTION 20

#1732783312252

1694-491: Is unknown if Shakespeare ever visited Verona or Italy, but his plays have lured many visitors to Verona and surrounding cities. Verona was also the birthplace of Isotta Nogarola , who is said to be the first major female humanist and one of the most important humanists of the Renaissance . In November 2000, the city was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO because of its urban structure and architecture. The city

1771-641: The Battle of Legnano in 1176, and the Treaty of Venice signed in 1177 followed by the Peace of Constance in 1183. When Ezzelino III da Romano was elected podestà in 1226, he converted the office into a permanent lordship. In 1257 he caused the slaughter of 11,000 Paduans on the plain of Verona (Campi di Verona). Upon his death, the Great Council elected Mastino I della Scala as podestà, and he converted

1848-651: The Giro d'Italia annual cycling race. Verona also hosted the baseball world cup in 2009, and the Volleyball World Cup in September–October 2010. Verona is hosting the Volleyball Women's World Championship in September–October 2014. Public transit has been operated by the provincial public transport company, Azienda Trasporti Verona (ATV), since 2007. From 1884 to 1951, the city was served by

1925-636: The Italian Social Republic . During Austrian rule Verona became of great strategic importance to the regime. Galeazzo Ciano , Benito Mussolini 's son-in-law, was accused of plotting against the republic; in a show trial staged in January 1944 by the Nazi and fascist hierarchy at Castelvecchio (the Verona trial ), Ciano was executed on the banks of the Adige with many other officers on what

2002-789: The King of France , he was the richest prince of his time. A powerful league was formed against him in 1337 – Florence , Venice , the Visconti , the Este , and the Gonzaga . After a three-year war , the Scaliger dominions were reduced to Verona and Vicenza (Mastino's daughter Regina-Beatrice della Scala married to Barnabò Visconti ). Mastino's son Cangrande II (1351–1359) was a cruel, dissolute, and suspicious tyrant; not trusting his own subjects, he surrounded himself with Brandenburgian mercenaries. He

2079-659: The Kusttrams in Belgium . The most common design of 100% low floor vehicles is the multi-articulated design. This uses short carbody sections for the wheels with longer sections between them. Examples of this are the Alstom Citadis and Combino . A different design was developed by MAN . In 1990 the GT6N was the first 100% low-floor tram. These trams are found in ten German cities (such as Bremen and Munich ) and in

2156-525: The Paleochristian era, and houses the burials of the first bishops of Verona. Throughout the centuries Saint Stephen underwent complex architectural transformations. Particularly striking is the rare two-story ambulatory, probably built to give pilgrims visual access to the abundant collection of important relics for which the church was famous. Also to be visited is the cruciform crypt with its forest of columns, arches, and cross vaults. Saint Stephen

2233-688: The Venetian Republic . Verona became Austrian territory when Napoleon signed the Treaty of Campo Formio in October 1797. The Austrians took control of the city on 18 January 1798. It was taken from Austria by the Treaty of Pressburg in 1805 and became part of Napoleon's Kingdom of Italy , but was returned to Austria following Napoleon's defeat in 1814, when it became part of the Austrian-held Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia . The Congress of Verona , which met on 20 October 1822,

2310-463: The Verona tram network  [ it ] . Trolleybuses replaced the trams which were themselves replaced by buses in 1975. A new trolleybus network is currently under construction by ATV and is expected to open in 2026. An incline lift, the Verona funicular , opened in 2017 and provides access from the Ponte Pietra to the Roman theatre museum and San Pietro Castle. Verona lies at

2387-588: The marquisate dependent on the Duchy of Bavaria , however, the increasing wealth of the burgher families eclipsed the power of the counts, and in 1135 Verona was organised as a free commune. In 1164 Verona joined with Vicenza , Padua and Treviso to create the Veronese League , which was integrated with the Lombard League in 1167 to battle against Frederick I Barbarossa . Victory was achieved at

Siemens Combino - Misplaced Pages Continue

2464-683: The opera season in the Arena , an ancient Roman amphitheater . Between the 13th and 14th centuries, the city was ruled by the della Scala family . Under the rule of the family, in particular of Cangrande I della Scala , the city experienced great prosperity, becoming rich and powerful and being surrounded by new walls. The della Scala era is preserved in numerous monuments around Verona. Two of William Shakespeare 's plays are set in Verona: Romeo and Juliet (which also features Romeo's visit to Mantua ) and The Two Gentlemen of Verona . It

2541-526: The plague , and in 1629–1633 , Italy was struck by its worst outbreak in modern times. Around 33,000 people died in Verona (over 60% of the population at the time) in 1630–1631. In 1776, a method of bellringing was developed called Veronese bellringing art . Verona was occupied by Napoleon in 1797, but on Easter Monday the populace rose and drove out the French. It was then that Napoleon made an end of

2618-423: The "signoria" into a family possession, though leaving the burghers a share in the government. Failing to be re-elected podestà in 1262, he affected a coup d'état, and was acclaimed Capitano del Popolo, with the command of the communal troops. Long internal discord took place before he succeeded in establishing this new office, to which was attached the function of confirming the podestà. In 1277, Mastino della Scala

2695-488: The 18th century Andrea Monga, a wealthy Veronese, bought all the houses that in time had been built over the theatre, demolished them, and saved the monument. Not far from it is the Ponte di Pietra ("Stone Wall Bridge"), another Roman landmark that has survived to this day. The Arco dei Gavi was built in the 1st century AD and is famous for having the name of the builder (architect Lucius Vitruvius Cordone ) engraved on it,

2772-473: The American Christian right lobby group World Congress of Families ' conference in 2019. Despite this, since the mayors became directly elected in 1994, the city has elected two left-wing mayors - Paolo Zanotto in 2002 and current mayor Damiano Tommasi in 2022, largely due to incumbent mayor Federico Sboarina 's refusal to include center-right parties in his right-wing coalition. Because of

2849-612: The Duomo, is a notable Romanesque church. Sant'Anastasia is a huge and lofty church built from 1290 to 1481 by the Dominicans to hold the massive congregations attracted by their sermons. The Pellegrini chapel houses the fresco St. George and the Princess of Trebizond by Pisanello as well as the grave of Wilhelm von Bibra . An art festival is held in the square each May. The Castelvecchio Bridge , also known as Ponte Scaligero,

2926-685: The Great was said to have built a palace there. It remained under the power of the Goths throughout the Gothic War (535–552) , except for a single day in 541, when the Byzantine officer Artabazes made an entrance. The defections of the Byzantine generals over the booty made it possible for the Goths to regain possession of the city. In 552 the Romans under the general Valerian vainly endeavored to enter

3003-565: The Jewish population was hit by the Manifesto of Race , a series of anti-Semitic laws passed in 1938, and after the invasion by Nazi Germany in 1943, deportations to Nazi concentration camps . An Austrian Fort (now a church, the Santuario della Madonna di Lourdes), was used to incarcerate and torture Allied troops , Jews and anti-fascists , especially after 1943, when Verona became part of

3080-530: The Lombard kingdom. Verona became the ordinary residence of the kings of Italy , the government of the city becoming hereditary in the family of Count Milo , progenitor of the counts of San Bonifacio . From 880 to 951 the two Berengarii resided there. Under Holy Roman and Austrian rule, Verona was alternatively known in German as Bern , Welsch-Bern or Dietrichsbern . Otto I ceded to Verona

3157-477: The Roman forum was rebuilt by Cangrande I and Cansignorio della Scala I , lords of Verona, using material (such as marble blocks and statues) from Roman spas and villas. There is also a variety of other Roman monuments to be found in the town, such as the Roman theatre of Verona . This theatre was built in the 1st century BC, but through the ages had fallen in disuse and had been built upon to provide housing. In

Siemens Combino - Misplaced Pages Continue

3234-463: The Scaliger domination, which, however, survived in its monuments. The year 1387 is also the year of the Battle of Castagnaro , fought between Giovanni Ordelaffi for Verona and John Hawkwood for Padua . The latter emerged as the winner. Antonio's son Canfrancesco attempted in vain to recover Verona (1390). Guglielmo (1404), natural son of Cangrande II, was more fortunate; with the support of

3311-480: The Swedish city Norrköping . Other designs are only partially low floor, with high floors over the bogies at the outer ends and single axle bogies under the low-floor centre section. North American light rail type vehicles frequently have a similar configuration but with a centre bogie designed to accommodate a low floor situated under a short centre section. In Vienna, Ultra Low Floor (ULF) Trams can "kneel" at

3388-440: The church is a pleasant cloister. The church also houses the tomb of King Pippin of Italy (777–810). Piazza dei Signori is an elegant medieval square with various buildings and towers. It has a monument dedicated to Dante Alighieri . The Basilica of San Lorenzo is another Romanesque church, albeit smaller. It dates from around 1177, but was built on the site of a Paleochristian church, fragments of which remain. The church

3465-527: The church is divided into the Lower Church, occupying about ⅔ of the structure, and the Upper Church, occupying the remainder. The walls are covered with 12th and 14th century frescos and the ceiling of the nave is a magnificent example of a ship's keel ceiling. The vaulted crypt contains the tomb of St. Zeno , the first Bishop of Verona , as well as the tombs of several other saints. North of

3542-515: The cities of Treviso (1308), Vicenza (1311), and Padua (1328). At that time before the Black Death , the city was home to more than 40,000 people. Cangrande was succeeded by Mastino II (1329–1351) and Alberto, sons of Alboino. Mastino continued his uncle's policy, conquering Brescia in 1332 and carrying his power beyond the Mincio . He purchased Parma (1335) and Lucca (1339). After

3619-514: The city, but it was only when the Goths were fully overthrown that they surrendered it. In 569, it was taken by Alboin , King of the Lombards , in whose kingdom it was, in a sense, the second most important city. There, Alboin was "killed by his own people with the connivance of his wife" in 572. The dukes of Treviso often resided there. Adalgisus , son of Desiderius , in 774 made his last resistance in Verona to Charlemagne , who had destroyed

3696-425: The city. The current two-story façade is actually the internal support for the tiers; only a fragment of the original outer perimeter wall in white and pink limestone from Valpolicella , with three stories remains. The interior is very impressive and is virtually intact, and has remained in use even today for public events, fairs, theatre, and open-aired opera during warm summer nights. Piazza delle Erbe , near

3773-463: The connections between the sidewalls and the roof girders such that the safety of passengers in the wheel-less modules could not be assured in the event of a severe collision. These flaws were reported in many cities that had adopted the Combinos, such as Düsseldorf , Freiburg , Augsburg , Erfurt , Hiroshima , Nordhausen , Basel , Potsdam , Bern , Amsterdam and Melbourne . Siemens launched

3850-414: The curbside, reducing the height from the road to only 180 mm (7.1 in). Some public transport companies have both low floor and high floor trams. They report that low floor trams have 15% higher maintenance costs for the rolling stock, and 20% higher maintenance costs for the infrastructure on average. Many low-floor trams have fixed bogies which increase track wear and tear, while decreasing

3927-444: The early medieval era. The Roman military settlement in what is now the center of the city was to expand through the cardines and decumani that intersect at right angles. This structure has been kept to the present day and is clearly visible from the air. Further development has not reshaped the original map. Though the Roman city with its basalt-paved roads is mostly hidden from view it stands virtually intact about 6 m below

SECTION 50

#1732783312252

4004-412: The first Amsterdam Combinos passed the mileage threshold of 120,000 km (74,565 mi) and were taken out of service. Earlier, Siemens technicians had identified stress fractures in the door segments of two of Amsterdam's oldest cars. But, according to Siemens, those turned out not to be dangerous, which is why the cars continued to be used. At the end of April 2004, it was decided not to call upon

4081-635: The fold of Chievo), which was used as a venue at the 1990 FIFA World Cup . Verona is home to the volleyball team Verona Volley (now in Serie A1), the rugby team Franklin and Marshall Cus Verona Rugby (now in Serie A1), and the basketball team Scaligera Basket (now in Legadue). The city has twice hosted the UCI Road World Championships , in 1999 (with Treviso as co-host) and in 2004 . The city also regularly hosts stages of

4158-432: The large square, and is flanked with a 72-meter-tall bell tower , which is mentioned by Dante in Canto 18 of Purgatory in the Divine Comedy . The weathered Veronese stone gives a warm golden glow, and the restrained lines of the pillars, columns, and cornices, and the gallery with its double windows, give the façade an air of harmonious elegance. The huge rose window is decorated as a Wheel of Fortune . The lintels above

4235-409: The name Combino Supra. These Combinos have thin stainless steel rather than aluminium carbodies. Siemens also expressed a desire to sell the Viennese Ultra Low Floor (ULF), another 100%-low-floor model, to other cities. The first two Combino Supras were delivered on 14 March 2006 to Budapest . After serious initial teething problems in Budapest, which involved problems with the door mechanism and led

4312-414: The people and the Carraresi , he drove out the Milanese , but he died ten days after. After a period of Cararrese rule, Verona submitted to Venice (1405). The last representatives of the Scaligeri lived at the imperial court and repeatedly attempted to recover Verona by the aid of popular risings. From 1508 to 1517, the city was in the power of the Emperor Maximilian I . There were numerous outbreaks of

4389-433: The phenomenon has become less and less frequent in recent years. In 2009, 265,368 people were residing in Verona, located in the province of Verona, Veneto , of whom 47.6% were male and 52.4% were female. Minors (children aged 0–17) totaled 16.05% of the population compared to pensioners who numbered 22.36%. This compares with the Italian average of 18.06% (minors) and 19.94% (pensioners). The average age of Verona residents

4466-421: The pivoting bogies. The idea of a low-floor tram dates back to the early 20th century when a number of trolley systems began experimenting with various "stepless" designs. Perhaps the most notable is the Hedley-Doyle Stepless car introduced in 1912 for use on Broadway in Manhattan . A number of other cities also purchased Hedley-Doyle Stepless trams after seeing their success in Manhattan. Since these cars had

4543-452: The portal have carvings of the months of the year. Each side of the doorway is embellished with 18 bas-relief panels of biblical scenes, and the inner bronze door panels have 48 primitive but forceful depictions of Biblical scenes and episodes from the life of St Zeno. The meaning of some of the scenes is now unknown, but the extraordinarily vivid energy of the figures is a superb blend of traditional and Ottonian influences. The interior of

4620-535: The refit of all 14 Combinos. Combinos were usually used on the Poznański Szybki Tramwaj (Poznań Fast Tram) ( light rail ), that is on lines 14, 15 and 16 until they got replaced by Solaris Tramino trams. Starting from then Combinos are used on different lines to provide access to low-floor trams in other parts of Poznań. The original Combino model (Combino MkI) is produced on request but sold as Avenio M . To Budapest ( Hungary ) and Almada ( Portugal ), Siemens provided trams based on an older ADtranz design, under

4697-412: The road passing through the gate is the original Via Sacra of the Roman city. Today, it is lined with several Renaissance palazzi and the ancient Church of Santi Apostoli , a few meters from Piazza delle Erbe. Porta Leoni is the 1st century BC ruin of what was once part of the Roman city gate . A substantial portion is still standing as part of the wall of a medieval building. The street itself

SECTION 60

#1732783312252

4774-597: The six-section Combino Plus in Budapest, accommodating between 100 and 250 passengers. All versions are designed to have a 300-millimetre (11.8 in) floor height and a 10- tonne (11- short-ton ) axle load and can be built as a one-way or a two-way vehicle. They usually take 600 V DC overhead power and convert this to 400 V 3-phase AC power for the regenerative low wear motors via 3 IGBT PWM inverters. On board controls, lighting and air conditioning run at 24 V DC. For Nordhausen, three Combino Duo trams were built with an additional diesel propulsion system, courtesy of

4851-436: The speed at which a tram can drive through a curve (usually 4–15 km/h (2.5–9.3 mph) in 20 m (66 ft) radius curve). The Škoda ForCity and the newest Alstom Citadis X04 try to counter the effect with pivoting bogies while maintaining 100% low floor design. Prior to the new design, pivoting bogies could only be used under high floors, hence such trams could only be part low-floor, with high-floor sections over

4928-600: The surface. Most palazzi and houses have cellars built on Roman structures that are rarely accessible to visitors. Verona is famous for its Roman amphitheater , the Arena , found in the city's largest piazza, the Piazza Bra . Completed around 30 AD, it is the third-largest in Italy after Rome's Colosseum and the Amphitheatre of Capua . It measures 139 meters long and 110 meters wide, and could seat some 25,000 spectators in its 44 tiers of marble seats. The ludi (shows and gladiator games) performed within its walls were so famous that they attracted spectators from far beyond

5005-406: The tram travelled through reverse curves were much higher than anticipated, leading to cracks around the articulations between modules. Subsequently, hairline cracks were found in the joints of the aluminium bodies, which could cause the roof to collapse in the case of an accident. The problem was acute in Combino cars that had run more than 150,000 km (93,206 mi). Cracks were reported on

5082-529: The trams being taken out of service, the Combino Supra trams there began regular service during 2006. After they had been repaired, Budapest's government decided that they would return them to Siemens. However, this did not happen because of contractual terms. The local public transport company began using them in 2007 and they eventually began working successfully again. Low-floor tram A low-floor tram allows accessible level access from curb level platforms. Level access can also be achieved either by using

5159-418: The twelve undelivered cars which were outstanding at that time. A D2-class Melbourne tram was borrowed by Siemens for a demonstrator in Kaohsiung for a three-month period in 2003–2004. The city did not follow through with purchasing the cars or building a line after the trial. In 2013 the city began construction of the Circular LRT line, which utilises CAF Urbos vehicles. Poznań announced in 2002

5236-478: The value and importance of its many historical buildings, Verona has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Verona preserved many ancient Roman monuments (including the magnificent Arena ) in the early Middle Ages , but many of its early medieval edifices were destroyed or heavily damaged by the earthquake of 3 January 1117 , which led to a massive Romanesque rebuilding. The Carolingian period Versus de Verona contains an important description of Verona in

5313-459: The whole duration of the Cold War period a strong military presence, especially American, which has since decreased. Verona has a humid subtropical climate characteristic of Northern Italy's inland plains, with hot summers and cool, humid winters, even though Lake Garda has a partial influence on the city. The relative humidity is high throughout the year, especially in winter when it causes fog , mainly from dusk until late morning, although

5390-460: Was aggravated by the fact that several old cars had been sold to Hungary just a month before. In June 2004, Potsdam and Siemens "amicably" declared that the at the time 32 outstanding cars were not going to be delivered. This decision is likely to have consequences for other cities. Between 2017 and 2019 eight of the Potsdam Combinos were extended with an extra two modules, increasing their length to 42 metres (137 ft 10 in). In June 2004,

5467-475: Was also demonstrated on tram networks in other cities, including Barcelona in 1997. In 1997 the public transportation authorities of the city of Potsdam were the first to purchase Combino cars when they ordered a total of 48 cars, each 30.5 metres (100 ft 1 in) long to be delivered from 1998 to 2009. The advantages of its low-floor technology were stressed during the introduction. A total of 48 cars were to be bought through 2009. The order from Potsdam

5544-528: Was classified as a municipium in 49 BC, when its citizens were ascribed to the Roman tribe Poblilia or Publicia . The city became important because it was at the intersection of several roads. Stilicho , a military commander in the Roman army , defeated Alaric and his Visigoths here in 402. Later, Verona was conquered by the Ostrogoths in 489, and the Gothic domination of Italy began. Theoderic

5621-577: Was killed by his brother Cansignorio (1359–1375), who beautified the city with palaces, provided it with aqueducts and bridges, and founded the state treasury. He also killed his other brother, Paolo Alboino. Fratricide seems to have become a family custom, for Antonio (1375–1387), Cansignorio's natural brother, slew his brother Bartolomeo, thereby arousing the indignation of the people, who deserted him when Gian Galeazzo Visconti of Milan made war on him. Having exhausted all his resources, he fled from Verona at midnight on 19 October 1387, thus putting an end to

5698-533: Was killed by the faction of the nobles. The reign of his son Alberto della Scala as capitano (1277–1302) was a time of incessant war against the counts of San Bonifacio, who were aided by the House of Este. Of his sons, Bartolomeo, Alboino and Cangrande I della Scala (1291–1329), only the last shared the government (1308); he was great as warrior, prince, and patron of the arts; he protected Dante , Petrarch , and Giotto . By war or treaty, he brought under his control

5775-467: Was of great importance for advertising the Combino in other cities. Cars from Potsdam were frequently used for demonstrations. After a short period of service, many inhabitants of Potsdam noticed noises during the operation of the cars louder than those of the previously used Tatra cars. In March 2004, the 16 Potsdam cars were taken out of service. As a replacement, several Tatra cars which had been given to museums were taken back into service. The shortage

5852-540: Was part of the series of international conferences or congresses , opening with the Congress of Vienna in 1814–1815, that marked the continuing enforcement of the " Concert of Europe ". In 1866, following the Third Italian War of Independence , Verona, along with the rest of Venetia, became part of a united Italy. The advent of fascism added another dark chapter to the annals of Verona. Throughout Italy,

5929-565: Was the first Christian martyr and, according to the Acts of the Apostles, was stoned just outside Jerusalem, in a place still remembered today, near the so-called " Porta Leoni ". The Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore is a Romanesque style church, the third such structure on its site, built from 1123 to 1135, over the 4th-century shrine to Verona's patron saint , St. Zeno (bishop of Verona from 362 to 380 when he died). The façade dominates

#251748