The contract consists of options for several deliveries. The first delivery comprises the vehicle specifications and two FLEXITY trams. The first new trams will go into operation in time for the opening of the extension of tram line number eight to Weil am Rhein, in 2013, Bombardier says. Beginning in 2014, two new FLEXITY trams will be delivered to Basel every month, subject to confirmation by the legislature of the Swiss canton Basel-Stadt.

Jürg Baumgartner, BVB managing director, said, “I’m convinced the City of Basel has secured the best possible trams for its network. The FLEXITY tram outperforms all other vehicles by a massive margin. Traditionally, Basel’s trams have shaped the city’s identity. I believe that this region deserves a tram fleet that reflects our modern urban lifestyle and I am proud to witness this milestone order.”

“These new trams are taking Basel into the Champions League of public transport,” said Stéphane Wettstein, managing director of Bombardier in Switzerland. “We are particularly pleased to be shaping rail-based mobility in Basel together with the BVB for the coming decades.”

“This high-profile order is a big win for Bombardier’s Light Rail Vehicles business unit,” said Germar Wacker, president, Light Rail Vehicles, Bombardier Transportation.

Bombardier last fall debuted its FLEXITY North American light rail and streetcar variants at the APTA 2011 Expo in New Orleans.