SWITZERLAND: The first two trams for the future Lausanne tramway have been unveiled, enabling the start of testing ahead of the opening which is planned for later this year.
This will return trams to Lausanne more than 60 years after the city’s original tram network closed in 1964.
The first phase of Line T1 will run for 4·6 km from Flon in the city centre to Renens railway station in the western suburbs, paralleling SBB’s Lausanne – Genève main line and serving 10 stops. A second phase will extend the route a further 3·1 km west from Renens to Villars-Sainte-Croix, with completion expected in 2027.
In November 2022 local operator Transports Publics de la Région Lausannoise awarded Stadler a contract to supply 10 bidirectional trams, which will be the first 1 435 mm gauge Tramlink trams to operate in Switzerland. TL unveiled the first two at the Renens-Perrelet depot on March 2.
The seven-section stainless steel trams are 45 m long and 2 650 mm wide with a capacity of 316 passengers. They are fully low-floor and have eight double-leaf doors per side, with sliding steps to bridge the gap from the platform. The air-conditioned interior is designed with enhanced acoustic and thermal insulation for passenger comfort.
TL said ‘the return of the tram to western Lausanne after more than 60 years of absence will be a welcome one, without any sense of nostalgia’. The line will offer a 15 min journey time, with 13 million passengers expected in the first year.
Awareness and safety campaigns are getting underway ahead of the opening, and will include a public open house event at the depot on May 2.
