Tampere names tram fleet supplier

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The Tampere City Board has recommended Finnish manufacturer Transtech supply the light rail vehicles for phase one of its new tram network.

Transtech Oy, in which Skoda Transportation acquired a controlling stake in 2015, will build between 15 and 20 light rail vehicles for the system. The contract includes maintenance and options for up to 46 additional vehicles.

The unit value of each tram will be between €3.2 and €3.8 million depending on the final number, said Skoda. Other bidders included CAF, Pesa and Stadler Rail Valencia.

ZdenÄ›k Majer, vice president of Å koda Transportation Group and chairman of Transtech Oy, said: “We are very pleased that we will deliver our modern vehicles from family ForCity to another foreign city.

“This year, we received orders for trams in German Chemnitz, Turkish EskiÅŸehir and Riga in Latvia.

“Winning the tender for trams in Finland is proof that last year’s investment by acquiring a controlling stake in the Finnish company Transtech can be evaluated positively.”

Awarding the order to Transtech means the vehicles will be built in Finland, although both contracts are subject to final approval by the Tampere City Council on October 24.

An alliance between YIT Construction Ltd, VR Track Oy, Pöyry Finland Oy and Ratatek will build the line. Work is expected to begin next year.

Phase one of the route will link the city centre with the suburb of Hervanta. The plan is to later extend the route to Tampere’s central hospital and the Lentävänniemi suburb.