Alstom announces that its latest Citadis tram factory in Taubaté in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, is now equipped with a test track to perform static and dynamic tests on the trams before delivery to the customer for final tests.

This is Alstom’s first tramway factory in Latin America to be equipped with a testing facility. The first trams to be tested are destined for the city of Rio de Janeiro, which ordered 32 Citadis trams from Alstom in 2013 and are due to enter into commercial service beginning in 2016.

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The test track — which is approximately a quarter-mile long — is powered via catenaries^[1], enabling Citadis trams to run at speeds of 25 mph. The elements of the trams being tested are the traction and braking, eco-pack system (supercapacitors), air conditioning and acoustic comfort to guarantee that the tram is safe, reliable, efficient and capable of being inserted smoothly into the urban environment. The tested trams will run about 6 miles over a period of four days. Six Alstom employees are fully dedicated to this task.

“With the tests now being carried out where the trams are produced, we can guarantee faster delivery to our customer, as well as reducing the testing phase on the customer’s tramway line,” says Michel Boccaccio, Senior VP, Alstom Transport in Latin America.  
 
Alstom invested around $16.5 million in the Taubaté facility, which was built to better address Brazil’s mobility needs and, in the near future, those of Latin America. The tram is a relevant solution for medium-sized and large cities that face population increases, congestion and pollution. A tram uses four times less energy than a bus and 10 times less energy than a car^[2], as well as smoothly interconnecting with other modes of transport.