Tampereen Raitiotie and Škoda Group signed a contract for the delivery of 7 new ForCity Smart Artic trams and 8 additional ten-metre modules to extend the city’s existing Tampere tram fleet. The EUR 70 million contract is part of an option under the original order and includes also a 10-year full-service package, ensuring the fleet’s optimal performance and reliability well into the future.
Production will begin in 2025 and in the first phase, a prototype of the additional module will be delivered to Tampere. The ordered modules will undergo type tests in Tampere during the rest of 2026. Once the prototype of the additional module has been verified to be functional in all respects, Škoda Transtech will begin manufacturing the 10-meter additional modules.
The seven optional ForCity Smart Artic X34 trams will be delivered by mid-2027, while the extension modules are scheduled to be installed by July 2028.
The additional modules will extend the length of the existing trams from 37 to 47 metres. These 37-metre ForCity Smart Artic X34 trams boast a 100% low-floor design, pivoting bogies for smoother rides, and corrosion-resistant construction to endure Finland’s demanding climate.
Following an initial extension order placed in September, this brings the total number of extended trams to 19 by mid-2028. These longer vehicles will boost passenger capacity by over 30%, ensuring the system can keep pace with growing ridership while maintaining full compatibility with the existing fleet.
“Ordering longer trams is sensible from the perspective of operational efficiency and passenger service. Longer trams have over 30% more passenger capacity than shorter ones, as they can accommodate up to 345 people instead of 264. Thanks to the increased passenger capacity, the tram can operate on the entire network with an optimal 7.5-minute interval”, Pekka Sirviö, CEO of Tampere Tramway, said.
The first Škoda Group’s contract for Tampere tram fleet was signed in 2017 and included options for the supply of up to 46 vehicles. With this latest commitment, Tampereen Raitiotie will receive seven more bi-directional trams, complementing the 28 ForCity Smart Artic trams previously ordered.
The contract is part of city’s strategy to meet public transport demand and extend the tramway network.
These new trams have been ordered for the Pirkkala – Linnainmaa tram line which construction work started on December 11, 2024. The first phase of this new tram line, to Partola and the Niihama stop will be completed in 2028. The second phase of the project will begin in 2028 comprising the construction of the connection from Partola to Suupa and from Niihama to Linnainmaa. The implementation of the second phase requires securing state support. EUR 357.5 million is the estimated cost for the two phases, which also includes the expansion of the existing depot in Hervanta which requires significant modification. At this location all the Tampere tram fleet is stored, cleaned and maintained and is also the base for drivers and traffic control.
The depot site currently houses a carriage storage hall, a repair hall with office space, and an electricity supply station. The depot expansion will expand the storage hall from 6 tracks to 9 tracks, expand the office and social facilities by approximately 200 square meters, and build new storage, office, and social facilities for track maintenance. In addition, parking capacity will be increased in the depot area and options for charging staff electric cars will be investigated.
The current carriage storage hall is sized to accommodate the carriages required for the operation of Tampere tram sections 1 and 2. The track also enables the maintenance and storage of longer, 47-meter carriages. When the new Lentävänniemi extnesion will enter passenger operation, in 2025, the depot will have 28 37-meter trams.
The Tampereen Ratikan Pirkkala–Linnainmaa alliance begun the first stages of the depot expansion in December 2024. A parking area will be fenced off on the construction site at the corner of Hervannantie and Kauhakorvenkatu and a construction site base will be established in the depot area. Construction work on a new office building will begin in the depot area in early 2025.
On December 10, 2024, Tampere City announced that the project plan for the construction of Lielahti – Ylöjärvi tram line will be prepared during 2025 – 2027 in cooperation with the City of Ylöjärvi and Tampereen Raitiotie.
The project plan for the tram between Lielahti and Ylöjärvi will be prepared during 2025–2027 in cooperation with the City of Ylöjärvi and Tampereen Raitiotie Oy, this was decided by the Tampere City Board on 9 December 2024. The Ylöjärvi City Board will discuss the matter at its meeting on 16 December 2024. EUR 1 million is the value of project plan development covered by the city of Ylöjärvi and the city of Tampere.
The project covers the construction of an 8-km tram line served by 8 new stops, five of which are on the Ylöjärvi city side. The new line will connect the Hiedanranta and Lielahti districts of Tampere, the Teivo, Mäkkylä and Soppeenmäki districts of Ylöjärvi, and the land use along Kuruntie.
Once the project plan is completed, the Tampere and Ylöjärvi city councils can decide on the schedule of project implementation. An agreement for Tampere urban region development including land use, housing and transport (MAL) for 2024 – 2027, includes EUR 300,000 for the development of Lielahti–Ylöjärvi tramway project plan. It is expected that the desing tender would be launched in the spring of 2025 and will be completed in 2027.
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