(04/12/2020) 


Flanders’ Transportation Company De Lijn in Belgium has placed a firm order for a new lot of 17 additional LRVs under a contract signed with CAF in October 2016 (see piece of news). De Lijn is the Flemish public operator for buses and tramways, transporting about 530 million passengers per year.

The initial contract involved the manufacture and supply of up to 146 vehicles that were activated in three consecutive batches. Prior to this extension, the first two batches of 24 LRVs each were activated in October 2016 upon the signing of the contract, while the third batch including 23 additional units started operation in March 2019.

The first 48 units will operate services on the Belgian coastal line, while the trams from the third and fourth batches are to be deployed in the city of Antwerpen from the second half of 2022.

Utrecht

Additionally, the province of Utrecht in the Netherlands has concluded an agreement with CAF for the manufacture and supply of five additional LRVs. These will join a fleet of 49 units which the company is currently delivering under the contract awarded in early 2015 (see piece of news).

Part of this new CAF’s tram fleet is already in service on the new Uithoflijn line, which was opened in late 2019. The remaining vehicles will replace ageing rolling stock that is over 30 years old and used to operate on the Nieuwegein line up to now.