After detailed monitoring of a test tram, engineers at Flanders bus and tram operator De Lijn discovered that more than half the energy needed to operate a tram on cold winter days came not from getting passengers from A to B, but keeping them warm.
The company has since modified its tramcars by installing innovative energy management technologies to cut down on energy used for heating, while CO2 sensors monitor air quality in the tram to ensure that fresh air is drawn in and heated up only when necessary.