publishedFebruary 3, 2023 at 4:43 p.m
Basel34 million surcharge – credit for new tram procurement is cancelled
The Basel transport company has taken out a purchase option for 23 new trams with Alstom. Now that the manufacturer has driven up the price, Parliament is to take back a 90 million loan.
The latest Flexity trams have been running in Basel for several years.
20min/Marco Zangger
Because the manufacturer has raised the price massively, the deal should now burst.
20min/Marco Zangger
The Basel transport company wanted to procure 23 modern Flexity trams from the manufacturer Alstom in the coming years. Nothing will come of it now. After the manufacturer demanded a hefty surcharge for the purchase option, the Basel cantonal parliament should now cancel the original procurement loan of 91.3 million francs. This is recommended by the Environment, Transport and Energy Commission (UVEK) of the Great Council.
In the last ten years, BVB has already purchased 61 Flexity trams from Alstom (formerly Bombardier). As early as 2012, they entered into a deal with the manufacturer of the Trämmli for the 23 trams, according to which they could purchase a new Flexity tram for around CHF 3.7 million. The price of the new vehicles was financially very convenient for BVB.
A third more expensive and seven months later
In October 2022, BVB and the construction and transport department of the canton of Basel-Stadt informed the UVEK that the conditions for the purchase of the 23 trams had changed since the agreement was concluded. Alstom is now demanding a total of CHF 34.1 million more and is extending the delivery period for the vehicles from 26 months to 33. According to the manufacturer, the reason for this is the new standards for agreements that were not contractually recorded.
Alstom insists on its demands, despite several rounds of negotiations with BVB. The UVEK does not find the CHF 125.4 million for the new trams appropriate. However, she is aware that BVB needs new vehicles.
BVB needs to upgrade – bike and people friendly
Although the Commission clearly opposed trading with Alstom, they commissioned BVB to equip their fleet with “the latest generation of trams”. Above all, high value should be placed on sliding steps, i.e. extendable boarding aids on the tram doors. This would reduce the need for new Cape stops with high pavements, such as at the Kirschgarten stop. This would make trams more accessible for people with restricted mobility and tram stops safer for cyclists, who are often endangered at such Cape stops.
“BVB will have to replace various tram models in the next few years,” BVB told 20 minutes. With Alstom’s Flexity trams, however, it is very unlikely that this will happen. However, BVB is eagerly awaiting the decision of the Great Council. However, the views of the UVEK are shared, according to BVB.
