The entire world of transport technology and mobility met at the world’s leading trade fair InnoTrans in Berlin from 20 September – 23 September 2022. After four years, the trade fair was held again for the 13th time at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds and registered a similarly high demand as its predecessors. Numerous visitors, a high level of internationality and many business deals characterise InnoTrans, as do the broad market coverage and high innovation density. With 250 world premieres, the exhibitors presented more innovations than ever before. Trade visitors could expect to see 128 vehicles and exhibits on the track and outdoor areas.
Around 140,000 visitors from over 131 countries came to the world’s leading trade fair. 2,834 exhibitors from 56 countries were present. At the Berlin Exhibition Grounds they displayed the entire product and service diversity of the mobility industry.
“InnoTrans has once again impressively demonstrated that it is the industry summit that shows today what will be on the rail and road tomorrow. Here exhibitors present technologies for sustainable mobility first. InnoTrans is also a platform for international exchange for a trans-European transport network,” emphasises Martin Ecknig, CEO of Messe Berlin. “After the pandemic-induced break, InnoTrans 2022 has made a phenomenal return. At last the industry family has come together again. After a long wait we were able to exchange ideas in person and look each other in the eye,” says Kerstin Schulz, Director of InnoTrans.
At this year’s InnoTrans the proportion of first-time visitors is particularly high at 56 percent. A total of 57.3 percent of visitors come from abroad. The high rate confirms InnoTrans’ status as the world’s leading trade fair. Trade visitors are primarily interested in rail transport technology, rail transport infrastructure and the 3.5-kilometre track and outdoor exhibition area. This is followed by the new Mobility+ exhibition area, a platform for services and products relating to mobility complementary to public transport.
Trams, light rail vehicles and metros
A total of six low-floor trams, one metro (for Vienna) and one dual-system light rail vehicle for Wales were exhibited at this year’s InnoTrans. The highlight was definitely the first vehicle of Stadler’s new TINA tram platform for Darmstadt. TINA stands for “Totally Integrated Low-Floor Drive”. During the development of the new tram generation, special attention was paid to passenger comfort. The completely step-free and barrier-free vehicle has a spacious interior with wide aisles, no cross steps at all and the most comfortable seats with comfortable legroom – even in the bogie area. Maximum headroom and panoramic windows provide an open feeling of space and an unobstructed view. This is made possible by a new type of bogie. As this is the latest development from Stadler, the bogies have been concealed as a precautionary measure. In addition to Darmstadt, orders have already been received for Baselland Transport, Rostock and Halle/ Saale.
Hyundai Rotem showed its new tram for Warszawa (Warsaw). 123 vehicles will be delivered. The first vehicles have been in use in the Polish capital since the beginning of the year. At the Hyundai Rotem stand was a model of the hydrogen tram. For almost two years Hyundai Rotem has also been working on concepts for fuel cell trams, which are being developed and tested in Ulsan, South Korea. In early January 2022, a memorandum of understanding was signed with the Egyptian infrastructure company Orascom Construction and the French Colas Rail for the construction of a hydrogen tram in the new Egyptian capital (New Administrative Capital/ NAC). Rotem says it sees the hydrogen tram as an alternative to trams with energy storage systems, as the weight and vehicle costs for a fuel cell tram are cheaper. Last December, the company also won a contract to supply 40 low-floor trams in Edmonton, Canada.