Cuenca awards US$215mn in contracts for construction of Ecuador's 1st tramway

The municipal government of Ecuadorian city Cuenca has awarded two tenders worth a total of US$215mn for the construction of its US$232mn Cuatro Ríos tram system. The US$143mn contract for the provision, installation and assistance in implementing the tram system was awarded to a French consortium Cita Cuenca, comprised of energy equipment manufacturer Alstom, CIM, TSO, Ineo and Intra UTS, according to a release from the city's government. To preserve the city's historic downtown, Alstom plans to implement catenary-free Citadis trams, which rely on a third rail system rather than the installation of overhead cables, the company wrote in a press release. This would make Cuenca the first city in the Americas with a catenary-free tram system. A second US$72mn tender for the construction of the workshop, preparation of the road platform and the implementation of the technological support system was awarded to the Cuatro Ríos consortium. When complete the 10.2km tram is expected to have some 27 stops and a daily capacity of 120,000 passengers. The project is being financed in part by a 90mn-euro (US$117mn) loan from the French government.