Alstom delivers its 1,500th Citadis tram for the opening of the new T7 line in the Ile-de-France

On Saturday November 16^th, Alstom delivered its 1,500^th Citadis tram on the occasion of the launch by STIF (Ile-de-France Transport Union) and the RATP of the Ile-de-France's tram line 7. The inauguration of the new line was held in the maintenance and the storage depot in Vitry-sur-Seine in the presence of Jean-Paul Huchon, President of STIF, Pierre Mongin, President of the RATP and Jérôme Wallut, Managing Director of Alstom Transport France.

Alstom has supplied a total of 19 32-metre long trams, each able to carry about 200 passengers, equivalent to more than three buses. The trams will operate on the T7 line, 11.2 km long, which links Villejuif (Val de Marne) with Athis-Mons (Essonne) and serves 18 stations. There are plans to extend the line further between Athis-Mons and Juvisy-sur-Orge (2018). STIF ordered the trams in February 2011 as part of a contract covering the supply of 39 Citadis trams for the T7 and T8 lines (Saint-Denis to Epinay and Villetaneuse[1]). The deal covered by the contract includes the potential for up to 70 trams.

The delivery of the 1,500^th Citadis tram demonstrates the success of this tram. Since it entered service in France, back in 2000, in Montpellier and Orléans, 1,500 Citadis trams have been delivered to 33 cities in France and abroad, the most recent being Tunis, Bordeaux and Tours. Citadis trams have already carried over six billion passengers and covered over 500 million kilometres. Ten cities are awaiting delivery of their Citadis trams, including Aubagne and Avignon in France and Dubaï and Cuenca abroad. 226 trams will be delivered in the next two years.

Citadis trams range from 22 metres in length for a Compact tram (125 passengers[2]) to 44 metres for a high-capacity tram (319 passengers). The trams can also be coupled together to increase capacity even further. With several hundred possible configurations, Citadis trams meet the mobility needs of small towns and large cities alike. For example, Aubagne in France (with a population of less than 50,000) has chosen a Citadis tram 22 metres long, while Casablanca in Morocco (with a population of over 5 million) has chosen to couple two 32-metre trams together for a tram with a total length of 65 metres.  Moreover, Citadis also allows cities the opportunity to personalise the tram's design, including external livery, interior layout and front end, making this means of transport a key element in the city's identity. So far over 50 different designs have been created. 

Since it entered service, Citadis has continuously evolved to incorporate the latest technological innovations including the introduction of alternatives to overhead power lines (APS[3], batteries, supercapacitors). A great deal of effort has been been put in to making Citadis the most efficient, economical, and environmentally-friendly solution possible. This includes increasing the trams maximum speed (now 80 km/h, compared with 70 previously), the integration of permanent magnet motors, an optimisation of the traction system to reduce energy consumption and making the trams highly recyclable by using materials designed to protect the environment. Since it entered service, about 5 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions have been avoided. Citadis trams also contribute to the quality of life in cities, with a noise level 5 dBA lower than that generated by car traffic (i.e. nearly four times less noise).

The main tram assembly site is located in La Rochelle in France; other assembly sites are also located abroad to bring Alstom closer to the cities it serves.

Press contacts

Linda Huguet (Alstom Transport HQ) Tel.: + 33 1 57 06 10 42
linda.huguet@transport.alstom.com

Pauline Bochot (Alstom Transport France) -Tel.: + 33 1 57 06 97 60  Pauline.bochot@transport.alstom.com

[1] Scheduled to enter service in late 2014

[2] Based on 4 passengers/m²

[3] Ground-level power supply ("Alimentation Par le Sol")

citadis t7.JPG

More information about Alstom's Citadis tramways