In Yekaterinburg, the first trip with passengers of the new three-section tram model 71-233A, developed by Sinara-Transport Machines (STM), took place. The car completed a loop on route No. 18 and finished the run without technical issues, confirming its readiness for supervised operation.
Earlier, the tram underwent test running without passengers and received a certificate of conformity. The new rolling stock is designed for 308 people, including 70 seats, and features a 100-percent low floor, a spacious interior, and wide doorways.
According to passenger feedback, the car stays steadily on the rails, although no noticeable improvement in ride smoothness and sound insulation compared with previous models has yet been observed. At the same time, its modern layout and increased body length are noted — almost three meters longer than the familiar Kastor trams.
Among the remarks was the operation of the Project-A information system, which incorrectly displayed the direction of travel and stop announcements. Experts describe it as "outdated and inconvenient" and propose refining the interface and routing algorithms.
Engineers and users of specialist communities also drew attention to the non-pivoting middle bogie — a design solution intended to improve stability, but one that is still causing debate regarding maneuverability. Despite some shortcomings, no serious technical failures were recorded during the trip.
The 71-233A tram became Sinara's first fully in-house project in the field of urban electric transport. It was first presented at the Innoprom-2024 exhibition. Production of prototype units has been organized at the Yekaterinburg plant Remputmash. The project is being implemented after STM ended cooperation with the Czech company Škoda Transportation in 2022.