BrazilUppsala selects engineering consultancy Systra for tramway project
Swedish city Uppsala is set to house a new tram network – its first since 1953. Systra, a global engineering consultancy specialised in public transport, has been appointed to provide planning and design support.
Uppsala’s last tram network was demolished over 60 years ago, and a new one has been in consideration among policy makers for the last decade. The city’s population is expanding rapidly, calling for better urban infrastructure. Alongside plans to build 70,000 new homes, in May last year the city council approved plans for a new light rail – or tram.
In focus are modernity and sustainability – hallmarks of new urban mobility. The new proposed tram network is fast, reliable and safe, and will ease the heavy air pollution created by ballooning traffic congestion. To advise on the demanding project, Systra has been enlisted as the consultancy of choice.
“We are very proud to have received this assignment. We are a world-leading player in tramways and our historic references in this field were important factors in our being selected,” said Andreas Persson, Business Development Manager at Systra. Indeed, the firm is involved in public transport projects in major cities globally – including rail networks in London, the Metro in Paris and the Subway in New York.
With a global team of over 7,000 professionals, the French-origin firm will build on its vast pool of expertise to help the regional and municipal authorities build a best-in-class tram network. On the task list is a programme document – complete with solutions for routing, stops, technology choices and vehicles.
Project specifics
The new tram will link Bergsbrunna Station to Uppsala City Centre, with stops at Uppsala’s Fyrisån, Ultuna and Gotssunda districts. In total, the project cost Is estimated at around €400 million. Of this, the Government of Sweden will foot the bill for the stretch between Bergsbrunna to Gottsunda – pegged at nearly €90 million – as part of a national transport infrastructure plan for 2018-2029.
2029 is also the expected completion date for the Uppsala tram network, with construction due to begin by 2024 at the latest. In the mean time, Systra will lay tracks for the best way forward, while the city council explores options to fund the rest of the project.
According to a recent report by Deloitte, fellow Swedish city Stockholm is Europe’s top city for urban mobility, ahead of Singapore, Amsterdam, by London and Barcelona.
