Alstom selected by Greater Avignon Metropolitan Area to supply 24 Citadis Compact trams

18-6-2013 — /europawire.eu/ —  On 18 June 2013, Alstom was selected by officials of the Greater Avignon Metropolitan Area to supply 24 Citadis Compact trams. The contract is worth about €45 million. Scheduled for delivery in the spring of 2016, Citadis Compact trams will travel on both lines of the future 14.5-kilometre network. Entry into commercial service is planned for late 2016.

Greater Avignon is the second metropolitan area in France, after Aubagne, to choose the higher-capacity version of Citadis Compact. The tram, which is 24 metres long, can carry from 133 and 146 passengers (up to 45,000 passengers per day), depending on the interior layout.

Alstom’s new contract confirms the high performance of the Citadis range due to a proven industrial organisation, a continuous improvement approach and comprehensive feedback from equipment in use for more than 15 years. This in-depth understanding of how trains in service behave has enabled the Group to deliver optimum long-term maintenance, thus substantially reducing operating costs.

Thanks to the modular design of Citadis, Alstom has succeeded in providing a customised styling with interior and exterior features that reflect the City of Avignon’s architectural heritage. Large bay windows, air-conditioning and real-time information displays to ensure passengers enjoy a comfortable, safe and pleasant ride. The double doors at the front facilitate the flow of passengers and reduce the time spent on the station platform. In anticipation of changing travel patterns in Greater Avignon, the trams could be extended with two extra modules.

Citadis, which is up to 98% recyclable, plays its part in protecting the environment. The 1,400 Citadis trams circulating in the world today have already saved more than 4 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions compared to that of automobile traffic and improves the quality of life in cities thanks to a noise level 4 times quieter (-5 dBA).

The Citadis Compact will be produced in France at Alstom’s sites in La Rochelle (train design and assembly), Ornans (engine design and manufacture), Le Creusot (bogies), Tarbes (equipment and traction chain), Valenciennes (control system), Villeurbanne (embedded electronics) and Saint-Ouen (design activities).  More than 1,650 Citadis have been ordered by 41 cities throughout the world.

Press Contacts

Virginie Hourdin-Brémond, Isabelle Tourancheau –
Tel +33 1 41 49 21 36 /39 95
virginie.hourdin-bremond@chq.alstom.com, isabelle.tourancheau@chq.alstom.com

Linda Huguet – Tel. + 33 1 57 06 10 42
linda.huguet@transport.alstom.com