The Citadis Compact tramsets ordered by the Pays d'Aubagne et de l'Etoile metropolitan region are to be customised by modern artist Hervé Di Rosa
The Citadis Compact tramsets ordered by the Pays d'Aubagne et de l'Etoile metropolitan region are to be customised by modern artist Hervé Di Rosa
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The Urban Community of Pays d’Aubagne et de l’Etoile and Alstom Transport have selected Hervé Di Rosa to personalize the interior and exterior design of the Citadis Compact tram.
Di Rosa was a natural choice, since he embodies not only the spirit of the South, which characterizes his work, but above all because he shares the values underlying the creation of this new tram: close ties with the public, accessibility, openness and creativity.
Xavier Allard, Director of Alstom’s Design & Styling department, and Hervé Di Rosa will work together to design the tram’s interior and exterior: interior fittings, colours and mood as well as the exterior livery. Their goal is to make the Pays d’Aubagne Citadis Compact tram a warm and welcoming means of transport with a human touch - a “tram for the people”. Di Rosa will also be involving the children of Pays d’Aubagne et de l’Etoile in the project.
The shape of the tram’s front end combines lightness and friendliness. A round windshield will also give the Aubagne tram a “smiling face” for a warm and cheerful feel. Di Rosa’s participation will make the Citadis Compact not only pleasant to ride in but also fun to look at.
Hervé Di Rosa is a contemporary artist whose work involves a wide range of techniques and media (painting, sculpture, cartoons, weaving, printmaking, frescos and more). A popular and committed artist, his work is inspired by men and women, their lives and relationships.
In the 1990s, he diversified his artistic approaches through contacts with artisans during a world tour that took him to Bulgaria, Ghana, Benin, Ethiopia, Vietnam, South Africa, Corsica, Cuba, Mexico, the United States and Cameroon. He now lives in Seville, his work enriched by his openness to the world, his exchanges and sharing.
The eight Citadis Compact tramsets will operate in Aubagne network beginning in 2014.
The Urban Community of Pays d’Aubagne et de l’Etoile
Located in the eastern part of the Bouches-du-Rhône département, Pays d’Aubagne et de l’Etoile has 103,000 residents living in 12 towns: Aubagne, Auriol, Belcodène, Cadolive, Cuges-les-Pins, La Bouilladisse, La Destrousse, La Penne-sur-Huveaune, Peypin, Roquevaire, Saint-Savournin and Saint-Zacharie.
The tramline will link Penne-sur-Huveaune to the Paluds industrial zone in Aubagne and will serve Aubagne’s city centre and major residential areas. Like all of the Community’s public transport, the tram will carry all passengers free of charge.
The Citadis Compact
The new generation Citadis range rides on the success and customer-recognized quality of the 1,600 Citadis trams sold to nearly 40 cities worldwide, 20 of them in France, and on the technology and equipment that have proven their worth for more than 15 years. The range offers technical advances that meet new market needs, such as permanent magnet motors, double doors and an Ixège bogie, all designed with customers’ competitive needs and passengers’ comfort in mind. The success of this new range was made possible by the close proximity of Alstom Transport’s R&D centres of excellence, located in France, as well as a highly dynamic French tramway market.
Measuring 22 metres in length (other Citadis trams are 32 or 43 metres long), the Citadis Compact can accommodate nearly 130 passengers. The tramset’s interior fittings are completely modular and feature sets of two to four seats. Wide bay windows, air conditioning and real-time information provide customers with a sense of comfort, safety and well-being.
Its four double doors, a first in rolling stock of this length, save operating time by facilitating passenger boarding and alighting.
Equipped with Alstom’s new Ixège bogie, which features a double suspension and permanent-magnet motors, Citadis Compact is more reliable, offers higher performance, consumes less energy and requires less maintenance than a traditional tram. With the Ixège bogie, Citadis Compact offers the widest aisle on the market, thus providing greater freedom of movement for passengers on board.
Citadis Compact will be designed and assembled at Alstom’s French sites in Valenciennes, La Rochelle, Ornans, Le Creusot, Tarbes and Villeurbanne.
Alstom Transport
A promoter of sustainable mobility, Alstom Transport develops and offers the most comprehensive range of systems, equipment and services in the rail sector. Alstom Transport manages all aspects of transport systems, including rolling stock, signalling and infrastructure, as well as offering turnkey solutions. In 2010-2011, Alstom Transport posted sales of €5.6 billion. Alstom Transport has a presence in over 60 countries and employs some 25,500 people.
Press contact
The Urban Community of Pays d’Aubagne et de l’Etoile
Matthieu Reynier – Tel. +33 (0)4 42 62 83 02 – matthieu.reynier@agglo-paysdaubagne.fr
Alstom Transport
Pauline Rey – Tel. +33 (0)4 72 81 58 65 – pauline.rey@transport.alstom.com
Laurence Caillet – Tel. +33 (0)1 57 06 94 91 – laurence.caillet@transport.alstom.com