ITALY: Firenze tram Route T2 was inaugurated at noon on February 11, ahead of the entry into passenger service at 14.30. Travel on the route is free for two weeks.
The opening ceremony was attended by President Sergio Mattarella, Minister of Transport & Infrastructure Danilo Toninelli, Mayor Dario Nardella, Toscana region President Enrico Rossi and European Commissioner Corina Creţu.
T2 runs from Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia in the city centre to Peretola Airport in the northwest, sharing a stop with the existing east-west Route T1. The 13 stops on the 5·3 km route include a stop serving Belfiore high speed railway station, which is under construction and due to open in 2022.
Construction started in November 2011 but was delayed by the liquidation of some companies in the Tram di Firenze consortium that developed the project. The line was originally planned to open in June 2014.
Hitachi Rail Italy supplied 22 five-section bidirectional 100% low-floor trams in November 2016 to operate the route. Regular services require 13 vehicles, and peak frequencies are 4 min 20 sec.
Creţu announced that the EU will provide a further €40m for the development of more tram routes in the city. Work on three extensions is due to begin in the second half of 2019.
T2 is to be extended at both ends: from Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia to Piazza San Marco via Piazza della Liberta in the south, and from Peretola Airport to Sesto Fiorentino-Polo Scientifico via Castello railway station in the north.
The initial section of Route T4 would link Porta al Prato railway station to Le Piagge, using an existing railway alignment. In the longer term, T4 would be extended to Campi Bisenzio in the west.
