{"id":101488,"date":"2026-07-11T03:16:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-11T03:16:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/101488\/"},"modified":"2026-07-11T03:16:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T03:16:15","slug":"zurichs-new-flexity-trams-sustainable-public-transport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/101488\/","title":{"rendered":"Z\u00fcrich&#8217;s New Flexity Trams: Sustainable Public Transport"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"c-article-hero__description\">Bendy new trams are zipping through Z\u00fcrich and helping the city to stay on track for a cleaner future.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Seeking to kick-start your morning commute with a mode of transport that mixes a charming touch of nostalgia with the current concern of sustainability? Look no further than Z\u00fcrich\u2019s Flexity trams. The handsome vehicles, which are manufactured by Bombardier and assembled in Vienna, have been adapted for the Swiss city\u2019s terrain.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Z\u00fcrich\u2019s public transport operator vbz has five of these new trams zipping along its network, though more than 100 have been ordered to replace the ageing Tram 2000 fleet, which has been running relatively smoothly since the 1970s.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1296\" height=\"1728\" data-id=\"59523\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/flexity-tram-zurich-238.jpg\" alt=\"Interior of a Z\u00fcrich Flexity tram showing wooden seats and large windows with city views.\" class=\"wp-image-59523\" style=\"width:521px;height:auto\"  \/>Old-style seating<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1296\" height=\"1728\" data-id=\"59524\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/flexity-tram-zurich-242.jpg\" alt=\"Green illuminated door opener button on Z\u00fcrich Flexity tram interior.\" class=\"wp-image-59524\" style=\"width:521px;height:auto\"  \/>Door opener signals the tram has stopped<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1296\" height=\"1728\" data-id=\"59525\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/flexity-tram-zurich-243.jpg\" alt=\"USB charging station sign on a Z\u00fcrich Flexity tram interior wall.\" class=\"wp-image-59525\" style=\"width:521px;height:auto\"  \/>Leading the charge<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1296\" height=\"1728\" data-id=\"59526\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/flexity-tram-zurich-107.jpg\" alt=\"A Z\u00fcrich Flexity tram in blue and white livery with a conductor waving from the window.\" class=\"wp-image-59526\" style=\"width:521px;height:auto\"  \/>\u2018See you soon\u2019<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"730\" width=\"1095\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/flexity-tram-zurich-289_1.jpg\" alt=\"A blue and white Flexity tram numbered 4 stops on a Z\u00fcrich street lined with historic buildings.\" class=\"wp-image-59527\"  \/>Tram sporting Z\u00fcrich\u2019s colour<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The trams\u2019 spiffy blue-and-white exterior \u2013 in the city\u2019s signature hues \u2013 are a good start but it is the interiors that have really captured commuters\u2019 hearts. In a public poll (we\u2019re in Switzerland, after all) by vbz, residents preferred the wooden seats to moquette or leather as they add a touch of warmth \u2013 visually, at least \u2013 reminiscent of an older generation of trams.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But it\u2019s not all about reliving a long-lost heyday of public transport. usb charging stations and umbrella holders can be found throughout the 43-metre-long carriage as well as fresh air and good ventilation \u2013 even in rush hour. Meanwhile, low floors make boarding a breeze (even with a cumbersome bicycle or pram), while large windows show off the city and lake views.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Monocle comment: Despite the cosy design of these new trams, with their timber seats, safety regulations mean that the vehicles feel overlit at night. As the brightness is pumped up to prevent accidents, passengers are bathed in an unflattering glow. We\u2019re pushing for a dimmer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Bendy new trams are zipping through Z\u00fcrich and helping the city to stay on track for a cleaner&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":101489,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[6],"tags":[50155,1023,50156,50157,51],"class_list":["post-101488","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-zurich","tag-bombardier","tag-sustainability","tag-trams","tag-urbanism","tag-zurich"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ch\/116899177008982739","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101488","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=101488"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101488\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/101489"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=101488"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=101488"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=101488"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}