Canada: A fleet of 76 five-section trams began carrying passengers on Line 5 on 8 February.
The 19-km route was originally scheduled for launch in 2020, but it was repeatedly postponed, including due to organisational issues and supply chain disruptions amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The trams feature four doors on each side but only one driving cab, so they run in pairs in multiple. Each low-floor vehicle accommodates up to 200 passengers. On underground sections, they reach speeds of up to 80 km/h, and up to 60 km/h on surface sections. The average speed, including stops, is around 28 km/h.
In 2010, the transport agency Metrolinx ordered 182 trams from Bombardier Transportation (acquired by Alstom in 2021). Assembly took place at the plant in Thunder Bay. The prototype for testing was delivered in 2016, over a year late. Following legal disputes in 2017, the contract was reduced to 76 trams at a cost of CAD 392 mln ($305 mln). Deliveries began in 2018 and were completed in 2022.
