ON OCTOBER 6, Alstom Transport confirmed that it had signed contracts worth 67m euros to supply and maintain Citadis 300 low-floor light rail cars for Melbourne franchise operator Yarra Trams. Under the deal Alstom will supply 31 cars with options for a further five, and maintain them for 15 years. The cars will be 23m long, with a crush load capacity of 197 passengers. First deliveries are expected at the end of September 2001.
Four days earlier, Alstom was selected to supply 13 longer Citadis 300 cars to Paris Transport Authority. Able to operate in multiple, these will be 31m long and 2400mm wide, with accommodation for 52 seated and 164 standing passengers. Delivery is scheduled to start in March 2002. The deal is part of a package of options for up to 60 LRVs, worth a total of 97·5m euros, for RATP to expand capacity on its two suburban light rail routes. Line T1 between St Denis and Bobigny is currently being extended to Noisy-le-Sec, and extension of Line T2 linking La Défense to Issy Val-de-Seine is also envisaged.
