Polish rolling stock maker PESA is set to equip Tallinn with 23 new trams worth EUR 50 million after winning the city’s tender. The first vehicles are set to arrive in 2024.
Tallinn’s international tram procurement attracted three bidders, with PESA emerging as the winner, the city government reported. The tender is worth EUR 50 million in all.
The company will be offering Tallinn its PESA Twist trams that measure 28.6 meters in length. The trams have five doors, 65 seats and room for 300 passengers. The Twist also sports a low floor, offering easy access for people with special needs.
Deputy Mayor Andrei Novikov described the procurement as a historic decision that would help render public transport in Tallinn even greener and demonstrate the city’s dedication to new tramlines.
“Once the new trams arrive, we will be able to service more passengers both at current volume and when new tramlines, such as the Old City Harbor line, are completed. We want to offer the best possible public transit in Tallinn, and this requires new trams that would be even more convenient, fast and environmentally friendly,” Novikov said in a press release.
Head of AS Tallinn City Transport (TLT) Deniss Borodits said that PESA was a major Polish company that manufactured trains and trams and had experience in the business.
“The new trams will naturally be running on 100% green energy, just as the rest of Tallinn’s rolling stock does already,” he added.
Borodits said that the new trams would be added to Tallinn’s existing fleet of 64. The aim of procuring the new trams is to boost the quality of the capital’s public transport, grow the fleet and expand the tram service.
“While we could open the new lines using existing trams, the new vehicles ensure sustainability and add to the city’s light rail capacity. Tallinn has recently procured 20 new trams and renovated or rebuilt KT4 and KT6 trams,” Borodits noted.
The tender contract will be signed in May, with the first PESA trams expected in Tallinn in the second half of 2024. The procurement process took three years. (ERR/Business World Magazine)
