Sydney will be home to the first Citadis X05, as the ALTRAC Light Rail (Connecting Sydney) consortium has confirmed a AUS2.1bn PPP contract for Sydney’s CBD and South East Light Rail line.
Sydney will be home to the first Citadis X05, as the ALTRAC Light Rail (Connecting Sydney) consortium announced on 25 February that an AUS2.1bn (EUR1.5bn) PPP contract had been signed for Sydney’s CBD and South East Light Rail line.
The consortium, comprising Transdev Sydney, Alstom Transport Australia, Capella Capital and Acciona Infrastructure Australia, was selected as the preferred bidder in October and signed the contract in December for four years of construction, and 15 years of operation and maintenance.
Alstom is to supply 60 X05 trams, the newest Citadis model, to run the 12km (7.5-mile) route from Circular Quay to Central and Moore Park, where the line will split into two branches to connect Kingsford and the Prince of Wales Hospital at Randwick. The five-section trams will run in coupled pairs and hold 450 passengers, an additional 50% capacity over the 9 000 passengers per hour previously estimated by government.
Alstom is also to supply signalling, power supply equipment, its HESOP energy recovery system and depot equipment.
Construction of the line will commence in April 2015, to complete by 2018. Passenger services are expected to begin in 2019.