Switzerland is donating decommissioned trams to Lviv and Vinnytsia, two cities in Ukraine struggling with ageing tram fleets and growing passenger numbers. SWI swissinfo.ch meets the people preparing the trams for this rare journey – along with those who are about to receive them.
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Reporter specialised in Swiss foreign affairs, with a side hustle as a sub-editor in the English Department.
Previously my focus was on disinformation and fact-checks, which I still produce occasionally.
I have a wealth of experience as a journalist working in Switzerland and enjoy producing videos, articles and podcasts on a range of subjects, recently focused mainly on politics and the environment.
Born in the UK, I studied law at Nottingham University, then went on to attend the first-ever post-graduate radio journalism college in London. After working as a radio journalist in the UK and then Switzerland from 1984 to 1995, I returned to the UK to complete a post-graduate diploma in film at Bournemouth Film School. I have been working as a video journalist ever since.
Eleven decommissioned trams belonging to Bern public transport provider, BERNMOBIL, were destined for the scrapyard when the western Ukrainian city of Lviv came calling – it needed trams with low-floor entries.
Lviv and Vinnytsia, located in the centre of the country, are serving a crucial role in the war with Russia as relative safe havens for internally displaced persons, including those who have been maimed in rocket attacks or on the frontlines. Vinnytsia is set to receive up to 70 used trams from Zurich.
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Why Swiss trams have become sought-after vehicles in Ukraine
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Decommissioned trams from Bern and Zurich are set for a new of lease of life in Ukraine as part of a Swiss-backed aid programme.
To prepare for the arrival of the Bern trams on the streets of Lviv, staff from the local public transport operator, LET, spent four weeks in the Swiss capital learning how to drive, maintain and repair the vehicles. SWI swissinfo.ch went to meet them and the people at BERNMOBIL who are showing them the ropes.
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