After its arrival at the maintenance center and depot in Aubagne, the first tram will complete a series of track tests by the end of July 2014 to be ready for the commercial launch of the tram service in early September 2014.

The Aubagne local authority, the first of Alstom’s customers to order the Citadis Compact, will benefit from the innovative design of this tram. Internationally renowned artist Hervé Di Rosa’s involvement in the design of the Citadis Compact has produced a unique tram with a warm, colorful and resolutely human finish.

The Citadis Compact, the latest-generation tram specially designed for medium-sized networks and secondary lines with reduced traffic, benefits from Alstom’s experience in tram technology. It offers the highest capacity on the market for its size. The high-capacity version can carry up to 146 passengers.

The use of permanent magnet motors cuts electricity consumption and key components, such as the bogies and air-conditioning systems, are readily accessible for greater ease of maintenance, limiting downtimes and boosting efficiency.

Six of Alstom Transport’s French sites have contributed to the production of the Citadis for Aubagne. The carriages are developed and built in La Rochelle, Saint-Ouen is tasked with the design, Ornans builds the motors, Le Creusot makes the bogies, Tarbes produces the drive train and the onboard computer systems are made in Villeurbanne.