BELGIUM: On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of trams in Brussels, King Philippe unveiled a mock-up of the next-generation Flexity tram on April 30.
City transport operator STIB signed a €480m framework contract with Bombardier Transportation in April 2018, covering the supply of up to 175 trams. The base order is for 49 five-section trams 32 m long and 11 seven-section trams 43 m long. This is worth €169m excluding VAT, and includes spare parts and a driver training simulator. Bombardier will also be responsible for the vehicles’ maintenance.
Axel Enthoven of Yellow Window has designed the trams in an Art Nouveau style, according to STIB. The low-floor vehicles will be equipped with Flexx Urban 3000 bogies and LED lighting. A driver assistance system will be installed, with cameras and sensors to detect pedestrians and other vehicles near the tram. The air-conditioning will be adjusted using data supplied by sensors. Deliveries are due to begin in early 2020.
