Alstom Sends First Citadis Tram to Cuenca in Ecuador

Image Courtesy of Alstom Transport

Alstom have sent the first Citadis tram to Cuenca. The tram left Alstom’s La Rochelle factory and is being shipped to Ecuador. It is planned to leave the port of Antwerp on the 17th of May and is expected to reach its final destination by the end of June. 13 more Citadis tram units are being manufactured and the final unit is scheduled to be completed by October 2015. The trams will then enter commercial service for 2016.

Alstom Citadis Tram in Ecuador

In 2013, the city of Cuenca chose the consortium CITA Cuenca (CIM, Ineo, TSO and Alstom), led by Alstom, for the supply of an integrated electromechanical tramway system. Alstom’s share also includes electrification, power supply and systems integration.

Ecuadors first tramway network spans 10 km and includes 27 stations, crossing the historic centre of the city over a stretch of 2 km. Cuenca is Ecuadors third biggest city and has opted for Alstoms APS technology to preserve its architectural heritage. Cuenca will be the first city on the American continent to benefit from a catenaryless tramway system, already in operation in a number of cities worldwide, such as Bordeaux, Reims, Angers and Dubai.