Bergamo places T2 tramway contract

The Italian city of Bergamo (population 115 000) operated a first-generation tramway from 1884 until 1958 (there were trolleybuses from 1950 to 1970). In April 2009 a new 12.5km standard-gauge tramline T1 was opened linking the city centre with the eastern community of Albino on the alignment of a former railway closed in 1967, worked by 14 AnsaldoBreda Sirio low-floor trams. In 2016 work started to plan a second line to the town of Villa d’Alme, also using 11.5km of the former 44km rail line closed in 1966. 

 

On 12 May 2023, following agreement on funding with the Italian state (EUR 151.5M), the region of Lombardy (EUR 40M) and the city of Bergamo (EUR 9.5M) a EUR 176.35M contract was placed with a consortium of four companies to build and equip line T2 (which will share 1.6km of line T1 tracks between Bronzetti and Bergamo FS station). Work is expected to start before the end of 2023, with commissioning programmed for September 2026. Journey time from Bergamo FS to Villa d’Alme will be 30 minutes. 10 32m five-section low-floor trams will be supplied by Skoda; they will be interchangeable with the AnsaldoBreda cars on T1. 

 

Skoda’s last delivery of trams to an Italian operator was in 2007 when nine of its 06T model were supplied to Cagliari on the island of Sardinia for the 12km 950mm-gauge line that shares tracks with Ferrovie della Sardegna.