Alstoms Citadis Dualis tram-train enters service on the new Nantes-Châteaubriant line
Alstoms Citadis Dualis tram-train enters service on the new Nantes-Châteaubriant line
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Ten Alstoms Citadis Dualis tram-trains have been placed into service on the Nantes-Châteaubriant railway line, inaugurated on 28 February in the presence of the French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, Frédéric Cuvillier, the French Minister for Transport, Jacques Auxiette, the President of the Pays de la Loire Regional Council, Guillaume Pépy, the President of SNCF, and Jérôme Wallut, Managing Director of Alstom Transport France.
The inauguration is highly symbolic, marking the reopening of the line after 34 years of inactivity thanks to the choice of the electric tram-train. Alstom designed and supplied the Citadis Dualis tram-trains that will operate along this 64-kilometre line. The travel time between Nantes and Châteaubriant will be one hour and seven minutes only.
Citadis Dualis tram-train can circulate on both tram lines and conventional networks. Fully modular, the Citadis Dualis offers a wide choice of interior layouts and flexible exterior livery. It is accessible to all passengers, including people with disabilities, thanks to its low floor throughout and its ramps, bridging the gap between the platform and the tram.
Citadis Dualis consumes four times less power than a bus and ten times less than a car in terms of kWh/seated passenger thanks to the use of lightweight materials. Its recyclability can reach 98%. Ultra-quiet, it emits a noise level 5 dBA lower than that generated by car traffic, meaning nearly four times less noise.
Nantes-Châteaubriant is the fourth tram-train line equipped with the Citadis Dualis in France. The first, also in the Pays de la Loire district, has linked Nantes to Clisson since June 2011. Citadis Dualis also operates in western Lyon on the Brignais-St Paul and St Bel-St Paul lines, running since 2012.
A symbol of French industrial excellence, Alstom's tram-train is also being exported. In March 2013, the city of Ottawa ordered 34 Citadis Spirit trains, the North American version of the Citadis Dualis, from Alstom.
Citadis Dualis is entirely designed and built in Valenciennes. Five other Alstom sites contribute to its production: Ornans for the motors, Le Creusot for the bogies, Tarbes for the powertrain equipment and Saint-Ouen and Villeurbanne for the command and control electronics.