RFI – Service life extension of trams for Gråkallbanen, Trondheim

The purpose of this Prior Information Notice is to inform the market and to initiate dialogue with economic operators regarding possible approaches to life‑extension of the existing tram fleet. The contracting authority wishes to gain insight into technical feasibility, risks, and suitable procurement strategies before deciding on the next steps.

The County Council of Trøndelag is interested in dialogue with companies that can either:

perform an independent evaluation of the feasibility of extending the service life of the vehicles; and/or

carry out refurbishment and life‑extension work to the vehicles.

Key technical areas of interest include, but are not limited to, DC electrical control systems (chopper technology) and mechanical components such as gearboxes and drivetrain elements.

The County Council of Trøndelag (Trøndelag fylkeskommune) has initiated a project to assess the possibility of extending the service life of the trams operating on the Gråkallbanen tramway in Trondheim. The trams were manufactured by Linke‑Hofmann‑Busch (LHB) and delivered in the period 1984–1985. Of the eleven trams originally delivered, six vehicles remain in operation and are included in the scope of this assessment.

Gråkallbanen is operated by Boreal Bane AS, which is also the owner of the vehicles and responsible for maintenance. Boreal has carried out a technical condition assessment of the six operational trams and has presented a preliminary cost estimate and a risk analysis related to a potential life‑extension program. The assessment indicates significant uncertainty regarding feasibility, costs, availability of spare parts, and access to specialized expertise, particularly related to legacy direct‑current (DC) electrical control systems.

The initial phase will consist of digital meetings with interested economic operators. The meetings will be used to present the background and challenges of the project and to collect feedback and recommendations regarding feasible technical and commercial solutions.

Based on the input received during the market consultation, the project team will assess alternative approaches and decide how to proceed. This assessment will include a comparison between life‑extension of the existing vehicles and the potential procurement of new trams for Trondheim, with the objective of determining the most economically advantageous solution.

This Prior Information Notice is for information and market consultation only and does not constitute a call for competition.

An original technical data sheet for the LHB trams delivered to Trondheim in 1984–1985 is attached to the information notice.

Feedback must be provided by August 7.th 2026.