Taiwan is sending a very special tram through Dresden
Dresden. The first passengers were children: Students from the international school rode along on Tuesday, June 23, when a tram featuring a design by the Taiwanese chip manufacturer ESMC made its maiden voyage in Dresden. Driven by Dresden tram driver and “Tramfluencer” Maik Zeuge, the tram traveled through the Old Town; at the stop between Hofkirche and Augustusbrücke, numerous tram fans were already waiting for the vehicle.
“Join the Dragon Ride”: the winning slogan for the ESMC tram
ESMC selected the slogan “Join the Dragon Ride” from among 90 proposals submitted by its employees, as President Christian Koitzsch announced. The name alludes to the dragon, a recurring motif of the parent company TSMC. The tram’s designer was unable to attend the unveiling due to illness, Koitzsch said. The company aims to be a good neighbor and partner in Dresden. The vehicle wraps make ESMC visible in the cityscape long before the factory in the north begins shipping chips.
Taiwan and Dresden Emphasize Shared Values
Taiwan’s representative in Germany, Klement Gu, also came to Dresden for the unveiling. Germany and Taiwan do not maintain official diplomatic relations; Gu heads the Taipei Representative Office in Berlin. He said that Dresden is associated with the shared values of democracy and freedom, and encouraged the guests to visit Taiwan. Mayor Dirk Hilbert noted the growing Taiwanese community in the city. A Taiwanese night market had recently seen large crowds, Hilbert said. He welcomed ESMC as a new partner and its members as new fellow citizens.
DVB Courts Passengers for Dresden’s Public Transit System
Young passengers are the future of public transit, said Andreas Hemmersbach, Chief Mobility Officer of Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe (DVB). Hemmersbach revealed that the train had been kept under wraps for five days leading up to its premiere so that the public wouldn’t see it too early. He wished the train an accident-free journey and encouraged people to discover the city from a public transit perspective.
Line 8 to Connect to the ESMC Chip Factory in Dresden
For now, the train will operate within the existing route network. There is not yet a direct connection to the ESMC construction site in northern Dresden. The city and DVB are planning an extension of Line 8 beyond its current terminus in Hellerau to the facilities in Airportpark. Several route options are being evaluated. Preliminary planning is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026, after which the city council will decide on the preferred route. At a public hearing in March, residents complained about increased traffic and a lack of bike paths. Koitzsch pointed out that it is not a company’s responsibility to take over public infrastructure.
ESMC Construction Site in Dresden-Rähnitz: The Current Status
Structural work is underway at the large construction site in Rähnitz, with around 24 cranes operating across the site. Currently, about 1,000 people are working there, and that number is expected to rise to as many as 5,000 during peak periods. The office building celebrated its topping-out ceremony on December 4, 2025. Production is scheduled to begin in 2027, with plans for approximately 2,000 jobs and a monthly output of 40,000 wafers with feature widths ranging from 12 to 28 nanometers.
ESMC is a joint venture: TSMC holds 70 percent, while partners Bosch, Infineon, and NXP each hold 10 percent. The company estimates the investment at approximately 10.5 billion euros, of which the federal government is contributing around five billion.
