Say hello to our new trams
Adelaide’s new trams are being modified in Melbourne before going into service over Christmas and the New Year.
Three of the trams, purchased in Europe, arrived on the docks in Melbourne this week. Three more will arrive next month in a $36 million international deal.
The trams were built for Madrid transport group MINTRA for a major light rail project.
They were deemed surplus to requirements when the project was scaled back because of concerns over the global financial crisis.
Transport Minister Patrick Conlon said the $6 million cost for each tram was around the same as buying them new.
The deal, however, would help solve capacity problems much quicker than ordering new trams and waiting for them to be built and then to be delivered to South Australia. The French-made Alstom Citadis 302 trams hold 186 passengers each.
That is a slight increase on the trams in the existing fleets which have a 170-person carrying capacity.
Mr Conlon said the trams would begin arriving in Adelaide in November for trials before starting passenger operations over the festive holiday period.
“They will increase TransAdelaide’s modern tram fleet by 50 per cent and be running in time for the start of extended services to the Adelaide Entertainment Centre early next year,” he said.
Each tram is being brought to Australia in two halves for modifications at Melbourne’s Preston tram depot before being transported to Adelaide by road and then reassembled here.
