Alstom opens line 2 of the Citadis tramway in Le Mans

Alstom is opening the second tram line with greater Le Mans council in the presence of Jean-Claude Boulard, mayor of Le Mans and president of Le Mans Métropole, and François Papin, Site Managing Director of La Rochelle. The network is growing from 15.4 km to 19 km and the Citadis fleet is expanding from 26 to 34 trams. The eight new trams were ordered in 2012 to reinforce the service on line 1 and to operate on line 2.

Thirty metres long, the Le Mans Citadis trams already carry more than 48,000 people a day. Bringing the eight extra trams into line with the regulations on passengers with reduced mobility and making them more accessible required some major modifications: some seats have been widened, buzzers have been added to the doors, a flashing display and an intercom have been placed next to the exit and the handrails have been improved.

"SETRAM¹ has also upgraded the 26 trams already in service on the network according to processes defined and deployed by Alstom, which provided logistics and parts. The city of Le Mans now has a fleet of 34 modern trams adapted to the specific needs of people with reduced mobility," explains François D'Hulst, Alstom Transport's director of key accounts and local authorities.

Five out of the eleven Alstom sites in France took part in building the Citadis for Le Mans: La Rochelle for the tram design and construction, Ornans for the motors, Le Creusot for the bogies, Tarbes for the powertrain equipment and Villeurbanne for the onboard IT.

Over 1,800 Citadis trams have been sold to 45 cities worldwide, and nearly 1,500 are already in operation. This experience enables Alstom to innovate, offering greater comfort for passengers and simplified commercial management for operators.

• Tramway Citadis
• Modernisation