A new high-capacity Alstom Citadis tramset arrives in Bordeaux
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On 29 March 2013, Alstom Transport delivered the first of 26 Citadis tramsets to Bordeauxs Bastide depot. The tramsets were ordered by the Bordeaux Urban Community (CUB) for lines A, B and C of its tramway network (phase III). The next 25 tramsets will be delivered over a 12-month period at the rate of four tramsets per month.
The delivery follows the successful completion of a campaign of static and dynamic tests, organised in coordination with the principal contractor Tisya, to validate most of the trams functions before its delivery to the Bordeaux site. Additional tests to validate the trams on-site operation, as well as endurance testing, will be carried out over the next four months.
By awarding this new contract to Alstom Transport, the Bordeaux Urban Community has renewed its confidence in the entire French rail industry, attesting to its technological performance and competitiveness. This contract comprises a firm order for the supply of twenty-six 43-metre tramsets and a conditional phase for the supply of five to thirty additional tramsets that will be required when the future line D opens for operation.
In addition to providing the rolling stock, Alstom was also selected by the CUB (Bordeaux Urban Community) to extend the APS (ground-level power supply) system of its TBC (tram and bus) network. These extensions concern the tramway networks three lines: line A over a distance of 500 metres from the Mérignac Centre station to the Pin Galant station; line B, through a partial terminus at Place des Quinconces; and line C, which involves equipping the test track of the future La Jallère depot with the APS system.
The APS system, which has proven its reliability for nearly 10 years, provides ample grounds for satisfaction, both as regards its aesthetic qualities and its safety and reliability.
The entry into service of these extensions, scheduled for early 2015, will extend service to users beyond the Bordeaux ring road and will also increase the frequency of tram services in the city centre.
Six of the ten Alstom Transport manufacturing sites in France are participating in the design and implementation of the Bordeaux tramway: La Rochelle will handle design and production, Le Creusot will be responsible for the bogies, Ornans for the engines, Tarbes for the traction drives, and Saint-Ouen and Villeurbanne for electronic systems. Alstom Transports tramway business has generated a total of 4,400 jobs in France at Alstom and its partners.
To date, more than 1,600 Citadis trams have been sold to nearly 40 cities throughout the world, including more than 800 tramsets to 20 cities in France. They have carried more than 4 billion passengers and have demonstrated their reliability over more than 400 million km.