Brescia Mobilità awards Manelli, Hitachi Rail and Alstom the contract for the construction of the city’s new tram line

Brescia Mobilità has awarded the contract for the construction of the new T2 tram line in Brescia to the Temporary Grouping of Companies (TGC) led by Manelli Impresa S.p.A., in partnership with Hitachi Rail and Alstom. The new line will connect the Pendolina and Fiera stations, with a total contract value of €326 million.

The project will improve the city’s public transport infrastructure, reducing its environmental impact and promoting the integration of different modes of urban mobility.

The T2 line will run along an 11.3 km double-track route between the terminals Fiera (south-west area of the city) and Pendolina (north-west area), passing through some of the city's most densely populated districts and providing a fast and efficient link to the FS TrainStation hub. The project includes 21 stops, a main depot at Fiera and an auxiliary depot at Pendolina, featuring state-of-the-art technologies to ensure sustainability and service efficiency.

A total of 72% of the route will run on dedicated lanes, ensuring smooth and safe traffic flow. The line will be powered mainly via an overhead contact line (about 8.2 km), with battery-powered segments (about 3.1 km) to reduce visual impact in sensitive areas.

Manelli Impresa S.p.A.,a leading construction company specializing in major infrastructure projects, will be responsible for the civil and infrastructure works, including the final design and safety coordination during the design phase of the new T2 tram line. Its share of the works is valued at approximately €161 million.

Hitachi Rail,a global player in the railway and sustainable mobility sector, will supply 18 of its new next-generation trams, along with ground and onboard telecommunications and onboard signaling systems. Hitachi Rail’s share of the contract amounts to approximately €77 million.

The new trams, produced at the Hitachi Rail site in Reggio Calabria, will be designed and developed according to the S.C.A.I. principles (Safety, Comfort, Environment, Innovation), offering improved comfort, accessibility, and safety, with special attention to ergonomics and passenger experience.

They will be equipped with an innovative ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) with anti-collision features capable of detecting potential obstacles such as pedestrians and vehicles. Passenger comfort will be enhanced by advanced vibration-dampening technologies and minimal noise emissions, along with 52 seats, over 24% of the total capacity of 216 passengers.

The trams will be made of lightweight, 98% recyclable materials and equipped with an automatic climate control system that adjusts based on passenger numbers to reduce energy consumption. The trams will use battery operation in areas of high cultural value to reduce environmental impact, while harnessing brake energy recovery and innovative Eco-Drive algorithms to achieve energy savings of 15–20%.

Sergio Onofrio Manelli,CEO of Manelli Impresa S.p.A., stated: "The new tramway project will run through a complex urban context that includes historic areas, zones undergoing transformation, and districts in need of redevelopment. Its construction is a major opportunity to enhance the quality of urban space, aligned with the strategies of the Territorial Governance Plan (PGT). The infrastructure will improve access to and usability of historic centers by enhancing public transport and reducing reliance on private vehicles. It will also contribute to the economic revitalization of transforming areas and promote urban wellbeing by fostering social cohesion in more marginalized or degraded neighborhoods."

Luca D’Aquila,COO of Hitachi Rail Group and CEO of Hitachi Rail Italy, commented: "The trams being developed for the city of Brescia meet the highest market standards and represent excellence in global tram transport. They demonstrate Hitachi Rail’s ability to offer increasingly comprehensive and cutting-edge technology solutions to benefit our clients and passengers. This aligns with our Group’s strategic goal to drive the decarbonization of transport by encouraging a shift from private to safe, sustainable collective mobility."

Michele Viale,Managing Director of Alstom Italy, added: "We are proud to bring our expertise in complex, integrated tram projects to serve the City of Brescia, supporting more sustainable and efficient urban and suburban mobility. With the construction of over 11 kilometers of new tram line, we further strengthen our commitment to delivering innovative solutions for local public transport."

For this project, Alstom will be responsible for designing and constructing the track system, electric traction, overhead contact line, ground signaling system, public lighting, and traffic light system, with a total value of around €88 million.

These activities will be carried out by Alstom’s Systems & Infrastructure team based in Rome, with electric traction components designed and supplied by its Valmadrera (LC) site, a center of excellence with over 100 years of innovation and technological development. Among the cutting-edge solutions provided is the Spiroll™, an innovative device for the automatic tensioning of the overhead contact line.