Transtech Oy (www.transtech.fi), a subsidiary of Skoda Transportation, will supply up to 65 trams for the Finnish city Tampere.

They will operate on a newly built track, starting in 2021. Tampere ordered 19 ForCity Smart Artic trams. The contract is worth 104 million euros.

Zdeněk Majer, vice-president of Skoda Transportation and chairman of Transtech, said: “Tampere — Finland’s third-largest city — has ordered 19 ForCity Smart Artic trams for the first stage of its new tram network. Additionally, the agreement includes a three-stage delivery option for up to 46 vehicles.

“This confirms that we are doing well in Finland. At the end of August, VR Group — Finnish Railways — proceeded with an option for 20 double-decker passenger cars; while at the end of last year, Helsinki City Transport proceeded with an option for 20 trams for Helsinki — and signed an agreement to deliver 29 trams for the new Raide-Jokeri line connecting Helsinki and Espoo.”

The bi-directional three-part ForCity Smart Artic Tampere tram has a normal gauge of 1.435m; it is a “fully low-floor tram” and can accommodate 264 passengers.

It also offers barrier-free access for wheel-chair users and prams; and with all-wheel drive, it allows “trouble-free operation” in challenging climatic conditions.

Transtech is the largest manufacturer of rolling stock in the Nordic countries. The company was founded in 1985 and currently employs about 500 people.