Enotrac was commissioned by Balser Verkehrs-Betriebe (BVB) to provide project management and engineering services (ECM2) for the major inspection of the ‘Cornichon’ tram fleet. As part of this mandate, the final major inspection for the nearly 50-year-old vehicles was planned in preparation for their withdrawal from service and managed through to the completion of the series implementation. Enotrac oversaw the entire project lifecycle—from defining the technical scope and preparing cost estimates, to securing approval from BVB management and the board of directors, and ultimately supporting the series rollout at the maintenance centre.
About the project
The Be 4/4 ‘Cornichon’ fleet with B4s trailers remains the oldest in active service at BVB. Approaching 50 years of operation, the vehicles require a final major overhaul to extend their operating licence by a further eight years before retirement.
Given that this is the last major inspection, the objective was to carry out a streamlined overhaul focused strictly on safety and operational availability. Due to the age of the vehicles, component obsolescence was anticipated, requiring pragmatic and cost‑effective solutions to emerging technical challenges.
The feasibility of the overhaul was validated through two prototype vehicles. Based on these prototypes, the necessary ECM2 work instructions were developed and key technical issues resolved. All measures were carefully assessed against the limited remaining service life, ensuring that only interventions essential for safe and reliable operation were implemented.
To sustain high fleet availability, selected maintenance and refurbishment activities were brought forward and performed during interim inspections rather than during the major overhaul. This phased approach allowed improvements to be realised rapidly across the fleet within a few months. The complete major inspection programme is scheduled for completion by the end of 2028.
Our contribution
In addition to overall project management, the Enotrac team assumed a significant share of vehicle engineering responsibilities (ECM2). The technical scope of the major inspection was defined in detail and translated into comprehensive work instructions. The safety relevance of individual measures was systematically assessed and documented through risk analyses.
As part of the overall project management, Enotrac planned and coordinated the project from both a technical and organisational perspective. Based on the defined scope of work, a detailed cost estimate was prepared, forming the basis for the required budget. Enotrac developed and presented the corresponding proposals to BVB management and the board of directors.
During the prototype phase, Enotrac led the shop floor meetings involving the engineering department (ECM3) and the maintenance centre (ECM4). To address capacity constraints in the bogie workshop, Enotrac prepared the complete tender documentation for outsourcing. The entire process—from specification and tender evaluation to contract award and the industrialisation of the first bogies at the external supplier—was managed by Enotrac to the full satisfaction of Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe.
Facts and Figures
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Client
Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe (BVB)
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Periode
2024 – 2026
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Location
Basel, Switzerland
