Sporveien, the publicly-owned operator of urban transport in Oslo, has ordered 87 trams from CAF for 200 million euros. It is also open to considering an extension to the order for an additional 60 trams from the company. The trams are based on the Urbos model and are similar to one previously supplied to an operator in Nantes, France.

There are 6 lines with 99 stops on the Oslo tram network, which serves more than 130,000 passengers around the city per day. The purchase of the new trams is part of plans to extend and modernise the network. Sporveien intends to eventually replace the entirety of its current fleet.

The design of the trams, which will be 34m long with six double access doors, also incorporates “head-up displays”, scope radar, wi-fi, USB chargers, double screens for passenger information systems and features to handle the weather conditions in Norway. The Urbos range is also designed to reduce its impact on the environment, even whilst it is still in production. The units are also recyclable.

This order, which is the most valuable tender on the tram market in 2018 so far, represents one of CAF’s largest contracts. The manufacturer is already producing high-speed Oaris train sets for Flytoget’s express service between Oslo city centre and Gardemoen Airport. In the first half of 2018 CAF supplied trams for the cities of Naples, Barcelona and Amsterdam, Luxembourg City, Freiburg and Lund, and diesel trains for the Wales and Borders franchise in the United Kingdom.