ALSTOM’S APS TECHNOLOGY IS CURRENTLY INSTALLED AND IN OPERATION IN 11 CITIES ON FOUR CONTINENTS.
The Barcelona Metropolitan Transport Authority (ATM) has awarded Alstom a contract for electrification of the first phase of the Barcelona tram network connection with a ground-level power supply system (APS), which will eliminate the use of catenary in the new section. The contract includes the APS equipment for the infrastructure and adapting 18 trams from the current fleet.
The APS system involves installing a third rail on the railway line that works as a power supply system. This third conductor rail, divided into sections, automatically switches on and off according to whether a tram passes over them, thereby eradicating any risk to other road users (pedestrians, bicycles and motorbikes).
Thanks to the APS system, a pioneer in Spain, installing a catenary on the new section of the tramway network will not be necessary, thus preserving the aesthetics of urban environments. Furthermore, this highly reliable technology maintains the same levels of availability and maintainability as conventional catenary.
Alstom’s APS technology is currently installed and in operation in 11 cities on four continents (Bordeaux, Tours, Rio de Janeiro, Istanbul, Dubai and Sydney, among others). Every day, 245 trams use this solution, which has already covered more than 38 million kilometres worldwide.
This solution allows Barcelona’s tramway to establish itself as the central axis of the city’s commitment to sustainable mobility, betting on a friendly, accessible, equitable and healthy urban development.