Tallinn transport co TLT to buy 8 new trams

TALLINN - The Tallinn public transport company Tallinna Linnatranspordi AS (TLT) announced an international tender with which eight modern trams will be purchased for the Estonian capital with the option of acquiring an additional 15 new trams -- the tram manufacturer to win the procurement will be determined in the first half of 2020.

"We are dedicated to the goal of bringing additional modern trams to Tallinn's streets to upgrade the rolling stock and increase the number of public transport users," Deniss Borodits, chairman of the management board of TLT, said. He added that to ensure the successful conclusion of the tender, various tram manufacturers and experts have been consulted during the preparation of the tram procurement. "Ahead of the announcement of the tender, we are convinced that in the next few years, there will be eight to 23 new and modern trams operating in Tallinn," Borodits said.

"Given the large number of future plans involving trams, we definitely need to be ready for possible new routes, but as trams are very popular, we also need new trams to serve the growing number of passengers on existing routes," Borodits said. "Approximately 29 million people used trams last year and we are estimating that passenger numbers are to increase by another tenth or so as the new trams arrive," he added.

According to Borodits, TLT seeks to fulfill two of the most important goals with the procurement of trams -- offer the best public transport service in Tallinn and reduce the company's ecological footprint. "We must constantly look for ways to improve the urban environment. The new trams are a good solution because they make public transport more convenient and faster and at the same time more environmentally friendly," the chairman of the management board of TLT said.

The new trams will serve as an addition to the tram fleet of TLT, which currently includes 20 new CAF trams, six new so-called retro trams and 44 KT-type trams.

The bidders qualifying for the tram tender announced by TLT will be determined in the first quarter of 2020. With the procurement, the company will be able to acquire eight trams and later order another 15 trams in the framework of the same tender.

The bus fleet of TLT includes 530 buses, which are used to service 72 bus routes in Tallinn. Along with tram and trolleybus routes, the company services over 140 million passengers per year.