Alstom unveiled the design of its Citadis trams for the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropole, which will begin service on the East-West line and Line 3 by end of 2018 to early 2019.

These hi-tech Citadis X05 trams will feature 40% more windows compared to the previous generation in circulation on Line 1 of the Metropole, LED lights, large individual seats and trip-related information displayed on extra-wide screens. Accessibility will be increased via double doors throughout the entire length of the tram, which will also increase the passenger exchange ratio in stations by 20%. A real-time video protection system and highly fireproof materials will ensure passenger security.

A distinctive feature of the new tramway line is the absence of overhead catenary lines over the entire surface section of the for Line 1, combined with intermittent charging in stations. This Metropole requirement meets the desire to integrate the new tramway line into the urban landscape while preserving the city’s architecture.

The future lines of the tramway will thus be entirely catenary-free (apart from the sections in the tunnel). For this, Alstom will supply its latest ground-based static charging technology, SRS. This allows the tram to charge safely and automatically in under 20 seconds while stopped inside the station. The trams will be equipped with an on-board energy storage device, Citadis Ecopack, guaranteeing their autonomy between two recharging points. SRS draws on the functional principals and safety standards of the  APS ground-level power supply. Equipped with this technology, the future trams of the East-West tramway line will be able to charge up at each station as passengers get on and off, without extra stopping time and without driver intervention.

Seven out of Alstom’s twelve plants in France are involved in the production of this tramway system for the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropole: La Rochelle for the design and assembly of the trams, Le Creusot for the bogies, Ornans for the motors, Tarbes for the traction, Villeurbanne for the onboard electronics and passenger information system, Saint-Ouen for the coordination of the design and in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, and Vitrolles for the ground-based static charging solution.