On Saturday, 24 November, Nice inaugurated its first, 8.7 kilometre-long tramway.
It links the districts in the north and east, taking in the city centre. 21 stations will enable over 120,000 inhabitants of these districts to move around using this means of transport, which had disappeared from the city’s streets in 1953.For the first time in the world, a tramway now operates over part of its route – which amounts to 11% of the line’s 8.8 kilometres – using an autonomous on board system, which makes it possible to avoid the use of overhead contact lines.
How does it work?
The driver presses an illuminated button to initiate the battery operation transfer sequence. The pantograph that is in contact with the overhead power lines is lowered. The tram then draws its energy from a battery located on the roof in the middle of the tram instead of from the power grid. Once the area has been crossed (square, bridge, etc.), the driver presses the button again and the pantograph is redressed. The battery is then re-charged during operation with the overhead cable.To facilitate mode changes and to avoid possible driver error, audible and visual alarms are triggered on the driver console when the power source needs to be changed.
The advantages
Preservation of a restricted urban area
Simple solution for limited needs
On-board equipment with no requirement for additional ground infrastructure
Constant-temperature operation ensuring a minimum battery life of 5 years
Reduced and easy maintenance
Battery recycling
The battery is an autonomous on-board system that allows the tram to operate in urban areas without overhead cables over distances of less than 1 km, at a maximum speed of 30 km/h.
This technology was developed as a world-first on rolling stock for ALSTOM’s CITADIS tram in Nice. Thanks to the absence of overhead power lines and supports, the historical character of the Masséna and Garibaldi squares has been preserved.
