Avenio trams destined for The Hague have left Siemens’ manufacturing facility in Vienna to begin dynamic testing.
The first of 40 new trams is now on its way to the Wegberg-Wildenrath Test and Validation Center in Germany.
The tram will undergo a stringent testing programme before it is delivered to HTM later this year.
Since placing the original order in November 2011, the operator has exercised an option for 20 additional vehicles, taking the total number of new trams to 40.
Avenio trams will be used on Lines 9, 11, 15 and 17.
New access areas are having to be provided at all stops to accommodate the new low-floor vehicles.
The Hague’s tram network, one of the oldest in Europe, is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. Half of the new Avenio fleet will go into operation on the system’s oldest line, Line 1, which links the capital with Delft.
