Family - Setra

14 | Setra Family News
Setra Individual | 15
Sweden – a Setra S 415 GT goes underground:
An excursion into the underworld
The Sundbergs Busstrafik bus company from Östhammar in Sweden offers an extraordinary bus tour.
With Setra, tourists from around the world can visit an underground disposal site of low- to mid-level
Schmetterling company wins bid:
Private customer successfully asserts itself in
Austria’s challenging public transport market
Red, yellow, green, purple ... the 16 Setra S 415 NF low-entry buses distinguish themselves from
each other in only one aspect – the colour of their grab-bars and handrails. Together they create a
strong fleet, with which Schmetterling Reise- und Verkehrs-Logistik GmbH will be overcoming an
equally great challenge – the operation of new scheduled connections in the Franconian districts of
Forchheim and Fürth.
D
uring the hand-over ceremony at the Setra Customer-
Center in Neu-Ulm, the 16 new vehicles with the yellow
butterfly logo (“Schmetterling” in German) framed the
festivities. It was a very special occasion, especially since the
purchase of 19 Setra buses from the MultiClass range was the
largest investment in the company’s history. This unusually large
order was placed shortly after Schmetterling – a medium-sized
family business in the Frankish Geschwand area – won the bid to
take on public transport business. For both managing directors
Elmar and Daniela Singer, who took delivery of the first 16 buses in
the presence of their drivers and their families, the decision in favour
of Setra was an easy one. Elmar Singer commented: “We very deliberately
opted for Setra buses. We have been impressed with their
quality, functionality and reliability for over 30 years. With these
low-entry buses, we are certain that even once the contract is up
in eight years, we will still have coaches of lasting value. The outstanding
value retention of Setra buses and coaches is truly unique
in the marketplace.”
With heart and soul
For the company, winning the bid is much more than just a competitive
success. Every one of the company’s employees contributes to
the well-being of passengers and customers – with heart and soul.
This is something Daniela Singer appreciates greatly. She sees the
win as a further success for both the company and the region: “We
are especially proud that, by winning this bid, we have succeeded
in securing jobs in scheduled-service transport in the region over
the coming years.” The new buses will also be making a significant
contribution to this success. For Heinz Friedrich, Head of Setra
Sales Germany, delivery of the scheduled-service vehicles equipped
with 40 seats and space for 45 standing room passengers is also
very significant: “This delivery demonstrates that committed operators
can successfully compete with big players in the challenging
public transport sector. With their outstanding passenger comfort
and safety, our products are ideally equipped to deliver superior
public transport service over the long-term – and even more so
when cost-effectiveness is a key consideration.”
The wheelchair-accessible S 415 NF buses are equipped with level
entrances, folding ramps for wheelchair users, a computerised
operating system (RBL) and monitors allowing passengers to conveniently
follow the route.
A Setra partner since 1980
The Schmetterling Reise- und Verkehrs-Logistik company currently
employs 240 people and is part of the Schmetterling family of companies
with headquarters in the Frankish Geschwand region. The
group owns a transport company with travel and logistics services,
scheduled-service bus lines, taxis, car rentals and tour operators.
The company which was founded in 1976 currently deploys more
than 120 vehicles, including close to 80 touring coaches and scheduled-service
buses. The Frankish family business has been a partner
of the Setra brand since their first purchase of a Setra S 150
from the 100 series in 1980.
radioactive waste.
T
he team at EvoBus Sweden was, to say the least, astonished
when the Sundbergs Busstrafik bus company from
Östhammar in Uppsala County inquired about a coach for
use in the Forsmark nuclear waste disposal pit. Superior reliability
and a wide selection of customisation possibilities were decisive in
their choosing Setra. And, since the application would imply viewing
radioactive nuclear waste, nothing could be left to chance.
A nuclear waste disposal site at a depth of 50 m
The SFR (Slutförvar För Radioaktivt Avfall) Forsmark nuclear waste
disposal site stores low- to mid-level radioactive waste. It is a good
50 metres deep into the rock beneath the Baltic Sea in the municipality
of Östhammar which also houses the Forsmark nuclear
power plant. The majority of the waste results from the operation of
Swedish nuclear power plants, and a smaller proportion from
research and medicine. Two tunnels, each 1 km long, lead to four
storage chambers in which the short-lived radioactive waste is
stored free of radiation.
An unusual tourist attraction
The public interest in the site is considerable. And this is why the
Sundbergs Busstrafik company came up with the idea to offer visitors
this very unusual tourist attraction. However, they hadn’t anticipated
just how strong the appeal would be. About 400 times a
year, the Setra coach embarks on its 1 km-long journey underground.
Tourists, many from Japan, as well as school groups, are
enthusiastic about this amazing sightseeing highlight, and the rides
are regularly booked out.
The underground coach’s special safety features
• Sprinkler fire protection meeting Swedish fire safety regulations.
• An additional sprinkler system.
• Four additional headlights in the front hatch.
• Back-up lights in the rear bumper left and right.
• An emergency door, rear left, which can be locked while driving
and opened from the inside when the coach is standing.
• Multiple smoke detectors inside with a display at the driver's
work station.
• A mini box with a lit stop display, for when a smoke detector or
Fogmaker fire extinguishing system is activated in the vehicle.
• Two emergency stop switches for the engine and electrical
systems.
The first Swedish disposal site for lowand
mid-level radioactive waste is located
at the Forsmark nuclear power plant,
around 50 metres below sea level
A Setra with special safety equipment
The Setra S 415 GT’s equipment was adapted to the special requirements
of underground deployment. For instance, for use in the pit,
it needs to fulfil a series of stringent fire safety requirements. The
passengers are absolutely safe, insists Åke Sundberg of Sundbergs
Busstrafik: “No need to be fearful entering the pit. The facility’s
safety is of the highest level, and the coach is also equipped with
very expensive safety features – without which we wouldn’t be able
to access the pit.”