[IMAGE]Tram-MontpellierFull.jpg[/IMAGE] The Montpellier, France area council selected Alstom to supply Citadis trainsets which will run on its third tram line.

The contract is worth a total of $159.4 million. It consists of a firm order, worth $88.6 million, which includes design studies, building a scale 1 model and manufacturing 23 Citadis tram trainsets. It also covers three conditional phases relating to 12 additional trainsets and the maintenance over 10 years of the 23 trainsets of the firm phase.

The external design and interior of the trams results from a joint design project between the Transport department of the Montpellier area council (TaM) and the design departments of Christian Lacroix and Alstom Transport.

The Alstom Citadis tramway features a low integral floor, air conditioning, video surveillance, onboard visual and audio information. The trainsets will be able to accommodate more than 300 passengers.