Alstom has been awarded a contract to supply 5 additional Citadis trams to Bordeaux Metropole for a total amount of nearly €14 million ($15.8 million).

This order comes in addition to a tranche of 25 trams currently being manufactured on Alstom's site in La Rochelle, said a statement from Alstom.

These new trams, 44-m-long, are identical to those of the previous orders and are intended to reinforce the multi-line transport offer of the city of Bordeaux from 2019. They can accommodate between 218 and 300 passengers each, the equivalent of more than 3 buses.

Alstom's Citadis trams offer optimal on-board journey quality with a fully low floor, air conditioning, a video monitoring system and audio-visual information. Up to 98 per cent recyclable, Citadis trams help to preserve the environment.

Since its entry into service in 2003, the Bordeaux tramway system transports almost 280,000 passengers every day on its three lines. With Phase III adopted in 2009, the network will consist of 4 lines (line D is scheduled to open in 2019), representing a cumulative total length of 79 km.

The Citadis tram has completely transformed the city and is popular with the inhabitants, who appreciate its speed and comfort of use. With 130 Citadis, Bordeaux Metropole will have one of the largest tram fleets in France, ordered in four tranches since the year 2000.

"We are very happy that our historic customer Bordeaux Metropole has once again placed its confidence in us. We delivered the first tram of the current order to our customer in May 2018, and the next four will be delivered and enter commercial service in September,” remarked François Papin, Alstom site manager in La Rochelle.

All the Citadis trams (33 and 44 metres) for Bordeaux Metropole are equipped with the innovative ground-level power supply system APS, which has also been incorporated into the tramway systems of cities such as Reims, Angers and Dubai.

Bordeaux Metropole was the first customer to rely on Alstom’s new power supply solutions, which represent an alternative to conventional catenary power supply. Besides APS, other new technological innovations are available to reduce energy consumption and preserve city centres: SRS, an innovative ground-based static recharging system, Citadis Ecopack, batteries and super capacitors.

The trams will be manufactured at six Alstom sites in France: La Rochelle for the design and assembly, Le Creusot for the bogies, Tarbes for the traction equipment, Villeurbanne for the on-board electronics, Vitrolles for the APS and Saint-Ouen for the design.

In total, over 2,500 Citadis trams have been sold to more than 50 cities in 20 countries.-TradeArabia News Service