The oldest tramway line in Île-de-France, the T1, operated by RATP on behalf of Île-de-France Mobilités, now connects Asnières-sur-Seine (92) to Noisy-le-Sec station (93). In order to modernize the line and prepare its extension to the east and west, Île-de-France Mobilités is investing EUR 167 million to completely renew the line’s rolling stock.
As of today, the first TW20 (Alstom Citadis) trams are being put into circulation, and 33 other trams will gradually be running by the end of summer 2025.
Thanks to this investment, the T1 will see its frequency increase, moving to an interval of 4 minutes between each train, compared to 5 currently, from the commissioning of the extension to the “Rue de Rosny” station in Montreuil as part of the extension to the east.
Since 2016, Île-de-France Mobilités has been investing heavily to completely renovate the rolling stock across the entire Île-de-France transport network. As T1 is one of the busiest tram lines on the network operated by RATP on behalf of Île-de-France Mobilités and the one with the oldest rolling stock, it was necessary to invest heavily to renew the trams on this line.
An initial order for 37 trams has been placed to replace the current trams on the line, some of which have been in service since 1992. The latter, 100% financed by Île-de-France Mobilités for an amount of EUR 167 million, will increase the capacity of the line and improve its reliability. The T1 currently has more than 170,000 passengers per day and is expected to have nearly 230,000 tomorrow, with the extension to Val-de-Fontenay planned for 2029. The first trams are entering service today, with the complete renewal of the current fleet planned for the third quarter of 2025.
The arrival of the TW20s on the line will also make it possible to increase the frequency of trams, thereby reducing the waiting interval to 4 minutes, compared to 5 currently, from the commissioning of the extension to the “Rue de Rosny” station.
The TW20, the new train that will gradually equip the T1, is longer and wider than the previous rolling stock, which will allow 200 passengers per train (i.e. +15%).
TW20 innovations
Île-de-France Mobilités has made the design of all its new rolling stock a strong focus with the support of RATP, other operators and manufacturers. The renewal of all new metros, buses, trams and trains is designed to improve passenger comfort and the feeling of safety. From the colours to the lighting, the shape of the seats or the interior design, everything is now designed so that on each trip, the passenger feels as good as possible with these facilities common to all modes, which give them a familiar feeling.
The TW20, like all the new rolling stock ordered by Île-de-France Mobilités, is fully accessible to all audiences, with a special architecture, minimizing the space between the doors and the platforms.
It is fully air-conditioned and equipped with 32 latest generation USB sockets and twenty screens, for quality passenger information, distributed throughout the train.
The TW20 also has all the qualities of a rolling stock geared towards the future. Indeed, beyond the eco-design of these trams, made of 95% recyclable and 99% recoverable materials, they will reduce energy consumption for traction by at least 30% compared to current equipment thanks to a new motorization that provides better efficiency. Energy consumption is also optimized by efficient management of climate comfort and 100% LED lighting.
Eight French Alstom sites contribute to the new tram for line T1
Eight of Alstom’s sixteen sites in France are involved in the manufacture of these trams:
- La Rochelle, for design and assembly;
- Ornans, for traction motors;
- Le Creusot, for motor bogies;
- Tarbes, for the circuit-breaker box;
- Valenciennes Petite-Forêt, for the design of the interior fittings;
- Villeurbanne, for on-board electronics and cyber security;
- Aix-en-Provence, for tacho centres
- and Saint-Ouen, for design.
To date, Alstom has sold more than 3,000 Citadis trams to 70 cities in 20 countries around the world (including 25 cities in France). Citadis trams have covered more than one billion kilometres and carried 10 billion passengers since the first tram entered service in 2000.
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