FRANCE: The first of 18 Alstom Citadis trams for Reims’ 11·2 km light rail line went on display in front of the city’s cathedral on March 26. The event was presided over by Adeline Hazan, the Mayor of Reims and president of Reims Métropole, and Christian Messelyn, president of concessionaire Mobilité Agglomération Rémoise.
The striking appearance of the pink-coloured LRV has been developed by Alstom’s Design & Styling department and MBD to reflect the network identity created by designer Rudy Bauer. The shape of the driver’s cab evokes a champagne flute. Each tram will be decorated in one of eight colours selected for the external livery and interior fittings: yellow, orange, red, purple, pink, blue, turquoise and green.
The 32 m long low-floor vehicle is equipped with APS ground-level third rail power supply for operation on a 2 km catenary-free section of the route in the historic city centre.
Line 1 is being built by the Alstom-led MARS consortium as a turnkey contract and is due to open in April 2011.
