FRANCE: Métropole Européenne de Lille has awarded Alstom a contract to supply replacement trams for inter-urban routes R and T, also known as ‘the Mongy’, which link Lille with Roubaix and Tourcoing.
The order announced by the manufacturer on December 20 covers an initial 24 Citadis trams and a driving simulator, with options for six more trams which would take the value to €124·8m.
Deliveries are scheduled from early 2026, for entry into service in the middle of the year.
The new trams will replace the current fleet which is approved for use until 2027 and is struggling to cope with growing demand, particularly between Lille Flandres and Romarin.
The metre-gauge trams will be 32·4 m long and 2 400 mm wide, with four double doors on each side and a capacity of at least 196 passengers.
They will have air-conditioning, a dynamic passenger information system, LED lighting USB sockets and CCTV. Accessibility features will include areas for wheelchair users and pushchairs, wider seats and the height of door opening buttons.
Maintainability features will include a reduced number of spare part references, accessible components and remote diagnostic sensors.
Alstom’s La Rochelle site will be responsible for design and assembly, Villeurbanne for onboard electronics and cybersecurity, and Aix-en-Provence for tachometric equipment.
