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Breakthrough in £100m tram project
ONE of the world's leading engineering companies has been chosen to build Blackpool's fleet of 16 supertrams.
Bombardier Transportation was last night selected by Blackpool Council's executive committee to build the trams for the 100m tramway scheme.
Bombardier has a UK base in Derby, but Blackpool's trams will be built in Germany.
A report to the council's executive committee described the company as "one of the major suppliers of trams and rolling stock in the world"
and said it "provided the lowest price and the best technical proposals."
The first of the new trams will not be in service until Easter 2012, but Blackpool Council Leader Coun Peter Callow said he hoped a prototype would be available earlier.
He said: "This is a major step forward. Blackpool will be the only place where you can ride on heritage and modern trams.
"The new trams will be aimed at getting people out of their cars and using the trams instead.
"There will be fewer stops which will cut journey times.
"I think this will help business and show the public that Blackpool is on the move.
"I would like to get one of these supertrams on the Promenade earlier than 2012 so that people can see what they will look like."
Bombardier Transportation has supplied trams to European cities including Dortmund in Germany, Valencia in Spain and Krakow in Poland and provides passenger services in more than 40 cities worldwide.
They claim to manufacture "modern, innovative designs that compliment the environment and guarantee the highest levels of passenger safety, comfort and accessibility." The council's executive also last night selected preferred bidders for the other two elements of the overall tramway package.
BAM Nuttall has been chosen for the track-laying and to build new tram stops, while Volker Fitzpatrick has been selected to build the new tram depot, which has been earmarked for a site at Starr Gate.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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