2012/02/03
The West Midlands Transport Authority, which operates the metro system of this city under the Centro commercial name, has announced the selection of CAF (Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles S.A.) to execute a contract for the supply of 19 Urbos III trams. The contract also includes options for 6 further vehicles if the extensions currently under review are finally built.
Birmingham is the second most populated city in the United Kingdom, and with CAF vehicles already running for a few years in London and Leeds, coupled with projects currently being developed in Belfast and Edinburgh, this project confirms CAF’s steady business operation in the United Kingdom. UK operations are further strengthened with the company's subsidiary CAF UK, which operates vehicle maintenance and business functions with offices in Belfast, Edinburgh and Coventry.
This tram project includes the opening of an extension of the existing line system in addition to the total replacement of the vehicles currently in service with a more modern fleet. It is worth of note that future extensions currently under consideration include some sections which would use the innovative power storage technology developed by CAF, which is already in use in the units supplied to the Seville and Zaragoza cities.
The trams to be supplied are similar to those commissioned last year in Zaragoza, which are the third generation of the Urbos tram. The main characteristics of these are: 30 metres long and 2.65 metres wide, aluminium body, 100% low floor accessible for persons with reduced mobility, and 70 km/h of maximum speed.
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