Citadismania sweeps Europe

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On 15 October, the first trainset of a new order for 15
trams for the city of Grenoble was given its first trial run at
the Rochelle site.

The same day, several hundred miles further north, the
Persontrafikmässan, the biggest annual rail sector event
in Scandinavia, opened its doors in Gothenburg, Sweden. Citadis
was the centre of attention, with a life size model of the
Reims tram providing the focus for the Alstom stand. Xavier
Allard, manager of Alstom Transport's Design Department,
chaired a seminar at the event on the role of innovative design
in expressing each town’s individual identity.

Just as the trade show was closing its doors on 18 October, the
Citadis was once again drawing the crowds in Rotterdam. The RET
(Rotterdam Public Transport Company), which owns the largest
fleet of Citadis trams in the world, organized the first
national Dutch tram-pulling championship, with 16 teams taking
part. The teams competed to pull a 40-tonne Citadis RET over
the longest distance using a rope. The Rotterdam student rugby
club won the competition, an original event witnessed by 8000
spectators.