Bologna tramway


The Bologna tramway network is a tramway network under construction in Bologna, Italy.
WWW trambologna.it

History

The reintroduction of a tram network in Bologna was foreseen by the local Piano Urbano della Mobilità Sostenibile, adopted on 27 November 2018. Bologna's PUMS suggested the gradual replacement of the main urban bus and trolleybus lines by 4 tram lines:
On 7 March 2019, the mayor of Bologna officially announced plans to build a new citywide tramway network.
As of June 2022, the tender for the executive design and construction of tramway line 1 has been awarded: the whole line is expected to be operational by 2026. Funding for construction of line 2 was approved by the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport in November 2021; activation is also expected by 2026. A further segment of line 2 was announced on 11 December 2021, with completion to be expected at a later date than the first two lines. Construction of the first line started on 26 April 2023, while construction of the second line started on 8 August 2024.

Network

As of August 2024, construction of the following tram lines is underway:
Furthermore, the following tram lines are in the planning stage:

Line 1 (red)

Line 1 will have its western terminus at Borgo Panigale Terminal, where a 400-car parking lot is planned, joined with an interchange terminal with intercity bus services. In the opposite direction there will be a double terminus, at the CAAB and at the Michelino parking lot. The main attractors served by the line are Bologna Borgo Panigale railway station, the Maggiore Hospital, the city center, Bologna Centrale railway station, Bologna's Fiera District, the Pilastro district, the Faculty of Agriculture and the CAAB.
Line 1 will feature 34 stops, for a total length of 16.5 km, of which 14.5 km with an overhead contact line; the 2-km tracks in the city center, from Porta San Felice to via Matteotti, won't feature any suspended power line, as the tram will be powered by batteries.
The technical and economic feasibility study for the first line has been carried out by a temporary association of companies formed by Systra, Sotecni, Architecna, Studio Mattioli, Aegis and Cooperativa Archeologia.
The definitive project was published on 25 November 2020. The tender for the executive design and construction was launched on 6 August 2021 and closed on 1 December, receiving four bids.
As of December 2021, the expected timetable is as follows:
  • Spring 2022: awarding of the executive project and works
  • Autumn 2022: approval of the executive project
  • End of 2022: start of the works
  • 2026: the new tramway line is fully operational.
In May 2022, the tender for the executive design and construction of Line 1 was awarded to a temporary association of companies led by CMB - Cooperativa Muratori e Braccianti di Carpi and including Alstom Ferroviaria, Pavimental and Alstom Transport, for an amount of €320,517,902.
Construction works started on 26 April 2023.

Line 2 (green)

Line 2 will have its southern terminus at Via dei Mille, in the city centre. In the opposite direction, the northern terminus will be at Via di Vittorio, in the municipality of Castel Maggiore, where a new parking lot and an interchange terminal for intercity bus services has been envisaged. The main attractors served by the line are Bologna Centrale railway station, the Bolognina district, the Corticella district and Bologna Corticella railway station.
Line 2 will feature 19 stops, for a total length of 7.4 km, of which 4 stops and 1.5 km will be shared with Line 1.
On 30 December 2020, the technical and economic feasibility study for the construction of the second tram line, the green line, was publicly presented to the Navile district mobility committee, with regard to the tram line stretch between the northern terminus and via dei Mille. On 7 January 2021, the municipality of Castel Maggiore mandated the municipality of Bologna to submit a pre-feasibility study to the Italian Ministry of Transport for a further extension of the green line to the center of Castel Maggiore. The joint request for funding, amounting to 222,142,224.26 euros, was sent to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport on 14 January 2021.
On 3 November, the Ministry approved the full financing of the new line by Next Generation EU funds, which binds its construction by 2026.
Construction works started on 8 August 2024.

Vehicles

In October 2024, the Spanish firm Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles was awarded the tender to supply up to 60 trams to Bologna over six years. An initial order for 33 trams is already financed for a value of over €130 million. The deal includes maintenance for four years and the supply of spare parts and specialized tools.
The bidirectional trams, based on the CAF Urbos model, will have five sections and be 35 metres long and 2.4 metres wide. Each tram will have a capacity of 225 passengers with 68 seated and two positions for passengers with disabilities. Trams will have batteries to pass over sections of the line without overhead wire such as through the city's historic centre. The trams will have four bogies. To reduce the risk wheel squealing on tight curves, the bogie at each end of the tram will be able to rotate. Security features will include electrodynamic braking system for emergencies, anti-collision devices, and interior video surveillance.
The tram depot will be at Borgo Panigale.