PPP for the Liège Tramway
The Walloon Transport Operator (OTW) has chosen the Tram'Ardent consortium as preferred bidder for a public-private partnership (PPP) contract involving the design, financing, construction and maintenance of the first tramway line in Liège, Belgium. The Tram’Ardent consortium is composed of Colas Projects, Colas Belgium and Colas Rail Belgium, the Spanish rolling stock manufacturer Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) and the financial company DIF. The contract is expected to be signed before the end of 2018.
With a total length of 11.7 km, 90% of which is in a reserved lane section, Liège's first tramway line will serve 21 stations, connecting the Sclessin multimodal station (southwest of Liège) to the city of Herstal in the northeast via the high-speed train station and Saint Lambert Square.
A construction consortium comprising the Colas companies and CAF, led by Colas Projects, will be in charge of the design and build of the electrified rail network, the creation of a maintenance and storage center, and the development of 240,000 m² of surrounding urban space promoting soft mobility. CAF will, in particular, supply the rolling stock as part of the consortium.
A maintenance company also comprising the Colas companies and CAF will maintain the infrastructure and equipment throughout the duration of the contract.
Delivery is scheduled for the second half of 2022.
Being selected preferred bidder confirms Colas' expertise in the construction of tram lines and in bidding on major projects. Colas has been part of almost every recent tramway project in France, along with tramways in Rabat and Casablanca, Morocco. In addition, Colas Rail, part of the Midlands Metro Alliance (MMA), is currently participating in the extension project of the Birmingham tramway in the United Kingdom.
