54 Alstom Citadis for Haifa–Nazareth

16 May saw the signing of the EUR 1bn contract between the promoters (Ministry of Transport and Road Safety working as Trans Israel) of the 41km Haifa–Nazareth interurban light rail line (Nofit) and the Alstom-led HN Light Rail Line Ltd consortium; the value to Alstom is EUR 700M. 

 

The French company will design, supply and install tracks, power systems, security, communication and depot equipment, plus supply 54 low-floor Citadis trams for 100km/h operation working from a depot at Kiryat Ata. Alstom will then be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the line for 21 years at a cost of EUR 140M. 

 

Other members of the consortium are Israeli companies Minrav and Electra Afikim. There will be 20 stations along the line, expected to be used by 120 000 passengers/day, who will see a tram every four minutes at peak periods. Construction is scheduled for 2025-2029. 

 

Eran Cohen, Managing Director of Alstom Israel, said, ‘We are proud to support Trans Israel in this project for a tramway connecting the town and people of northern Israel. We are committed to continuing to do our utmost to create an efficient, fast and innovative transport system for the benefit of the entire Israeli population. This important project is another step in Israel’s public transport evolution, and a real engine of growth for the entire northern region’.