Reims Citadis tramway: a truly sparkling design

Between January 10 and 20, the citys inhabitants had
been invited to cast their vote on which of the three front
panels proposed by Alstom Transports design department,
in conjunction with the agency MBD Design, should be used. With
its pure, flowing and elegant lines, evocative of the lightness
and refinement of a champagne glass, the final choice fell to
the cintré (waisted) proposal.


 


The design of the Reims tramway stands out on account of a use
of colour taken to the extreme, reflecting the artistic concept
developed by the designer, Ruedi Bauer, who was selected to
create the citys visual identity. Like multi-coloured
pearls on a string, the 18 tramsets will sport no fewer than 10
different hues: yellow, orange, red, violet, pink, blue, cyan
blue, turquoise blue, green and aniseed green.

Designed as monochrome mobiles, each tramset
simply brims with colour, right down to the tinted glass
surfaces, which give the vehicles their streamlined look while
offering passengers a full-colour vision of the city.

The design of the Reims tramway stands out on account of a
use of colour taken to the extreme, reflecting the artistic
concept developed by the designer, Ruedi Bauer, who was
selected to create the citys visual identity. Like
multi-coloured pearls on a string, the 18 tramsets will sport
no fewer than 10 different hues: yellow, orange, red, violet,
pink, blue, cyan blue, turquoise blue, green and aniseed green.
Designed as monochrome mobiles, each tramset
simply brims with colour, right down to the tinted glass
surfaces, which give the vehicles their streamlined look while
offering passengers a full-colour vision of the city.

The same chromatic concept has been applied inside the
tramsets, with exterior colours carried through into the design
of the interior fittings. Particular attention has been paid to
the lighting, to create an atmosphere that subtly combines
natural light with highlights of colour. This approach to
lighting underlines and strengthens the impression of
sparkling, especially at night, when the
tramways kaleidoscope of colours brings extra light and
life to the urban landscape.

To ensure that the heritage of the city of Reims is fully
respected, Alstom will be equipping 2km of track with a ground
level power supply system, without overhead lines, to preserve
the historic character of the city centre and, in particular,
the architectural integrity of the cathedral.

The Citadis tramways will be operated on line A, 11.2km long
and serving 22 stations. Deliveries are scheduled to commence
in October 2009 and should be completed during the first
quarter of 2010. Entry into service is planned for the end of
2010.


32 metres long, the tramsets will each be able to carry over
200 passengers. They will be designed and assembled in
Alstoms factory at La Rochelle, which serves as the
companys centre of expertise for tramways. Four other
sites will be involved in their manufacture: Tarbes will supply
the traction system, Ornans the motors, Le Creusot the bogies
and Villeurbanne the on-board electronics.

To date, 870 Citadis tramsets have been ordered by 24 cities
around the world, 15 of them in France, and another 30 cities
have a tramway project scheduled for the next 3 years. Tramways
are now well on their way to becoming the urban transport
solution of choice because they make it possible to offer
sustainable mobility, to rethink and re-energize urban space
and preserve architectural heritage, while contributing to city
growth. Between now and 2009, ALSTOM expects to pass the 1,000
mark in terms of Citadis tramways sold across the world.