[IMAGE]Citadis-Brasilia-HDFull.jpg[/IMAGE]The city of Brasilia has signed a contract with the Bastram consortium (made up of Alstom Transport, TC/BR, Mendes Jr. and Via) for phase 1 of a tramway project. Alstom’s share of this first phase is approximately $200.6 million.  

The project includes the supply of 16 Citadis tramways and the construction of a 4.9-mile stretch of track (.74 miles of which will use APS ground-level power supply technology). This technology provides power to tramways without the use of catenary systems, which helps preserve the urban environment and architectural heritage of city centers.

The tramways supplied to Brasilia will be able to carry more than 400 passengers per trainset- the equivalent of more than six buses. Alstom will also provide Brasilia with electric power systems, as well as telecommunication and ticket distribution systems.

Meanwhile, on Sept. 1, Alstom delivered the first of 37 Citadis tramways ordered by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality in Turkey. Over the next few weeks the trams will undergo a series of tests on the network run by Ulasim, Istanbul’s urban transport operator. The remaining trams will be delivered between the end of 2009 and mid-2010. Alstom will also supply a driving simulator to help train future tram drivers.

The tramway is the first to be equipped with the new Ixege bogies developed by Alstom. This technology combines a swivel function and a low floor, enabling this new generation tram to be used on any type of track, whether the network is new, or has already been in use for a number of years.