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RATB partners Astra Arad and Siemens to produce trams
The Bucharest City Transport Public Company (RATB) wants to partner with Astra Vagoane coach maker based in Arad (western Romania) and Siemens to produce fully low-floor trams to be sold all over the world.
The announcement was made by RATB Director Adrian Crit within a festivity which was attended by Commercial Attaché to the Austrian Embassy in Bucharest Michael Schwarzinger, by Siemens Romania managing director Cristian Secosan and Chairman of Astra Vagoane Arad Valer Blindar.
Crit told a press conference on Monday that RATB is going to take part in this partnership with the production facilities, utilities and labour and Astra Vagoane Arad, which has the Siemens licence, will provide the investment and upgrading of the trams production line within the Central Workshop Maintenance Plant (URAC) of the public company.
'Siemens came up with the proposal to cooperate and we accepted as the product will sell all over Europe. We want a long-term partnership, we estimate ten years from now, a period while we pledge to produce Imperio trams to be used in Bucharest as well as in other countries,' said the RATB director, adding that he intends to turn URAC into a modern and efficient production area, able to run 'competitive top projects.'
Siemens Romania managing director Secosanu expressed his satisfaction with this partnership, indicating that the German company is going to deliver part of the new trams' spare parts, which are top of the line.
Astra Vagoane Arad has an experience in producing trams that dates back 120 years and is ready to finance this project so that in about six months the first tram prototype should be implemented. 'Our agreement is to create a modern plant and produce trams able to compete with any in the world,' company Chairman Blindar said.
According to RATB, an Imperio tram produced in Bucharest would cost 2 million euros on average and the production rate would be 30 to 40 trams a year.
The outline agreement for the partnership with Astra Vagoane Arad and Siemens must be approved by the municipal concillors.