The people of Gelsenkirchen are now being given a foretaste of what will be a colourful festival of football by a super-heavyweight World Cup ambassador. Almost a year to the day before the World Cup gets under way Gelsenkirchen mayor Frank Baranowski and BOGESTRA director Dr Burkhard Rüberg launched a specially designed tram on its maiden journey. Also in attendance was Gelsenkirchen's World Cup ambassador Olaf Thon.

With its blue, orange and green livery the 30 tonne vehicle no. 402 will add a little more colour to the streets of Gelsenkirchen. Complementing the tram's colourful outfit are several of the FIFA World Cup city's logos. And, of course, the tournament motto, "Die Welt zu Gast bei Freunden" ("A time to make friends"), also appears on the 30 metre vehicle.

The World Cup tram will primarily be deployed on Line 302, which means it will advertise the forthcoming major event in both Gelsenkirchen and Bochum. The 23 kilometre route has a very sporting flavour, serving not only the FIFA World Cup Stadium Gelsenkirchen, but also the Glückauf-Kampfbahn, the former home of FC Schalke 04, and the Lohrheide Stadium of Wattenscheid 09. Vehicle no. 402 will not remain the only heavyweight among Gelsenkirchen's World Cup ambassadors. As part of a joint campaign by the city council and the BOGESTRA transport company an additional World Cup tram and two modern low-floor buses will go out on the road by the end of June.