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Back to the Rails: A Modern Tram Network for Florence

Electric trams have been running in Florence again since 2010. Like many other Italian cities, Florence closed down its tram network at the end of the 1950s. In order to find a solution to the growing volume of car traffic in the city, Florence has returned to trams in recent years.   By Christian Nagel

46 Sirio trams made by Ansaldo Breda, now Hitachi Rail, run on two lines. Signalling installations made by HANNING & KAHL are also in successful operation. Our Monza-based Italian representative Project Automation (PA), who supplied the SMARTRAMS® system for the Operational Control Center and traffic control, took care of integration. 

Planning began in 2005, Line 1 with a length of 11.5 km and 26 stations started operation back in February 2010. Line 2 (5.3 km) with 13 stations opened in 2019. A central depot was constructed for operation of Line 1 (Florence - Scandicci). The 17 bi-directional, low-floor trams for Line 1, 20 vehicles for Line 2 (from the airport) and nine vehicles for Line 3 are parked in this depot.

The current extensions of Line 3 supplied in 2024 have illustrious names like VACS, Variante Alternativa al Centro Storico, an alternative line to Piazza San Marco, or Bivio La Marmora-Matteotti, Terminal Piazza della Libertà, Terminal Don Minzoni and Terminal Fermata Valfonda. While the names may sound historic, state-of-the-art technology made by HANNING & KAHL has been deployed. 

The modern branch-off, end, turning or final stop signalling installations are of type HN-P. Technical implementation followed the signalling (use of special signals, route substitution in the event of an occupied signal on sections of the line) and operating modes (special procedures in case of malfunction) requirements set by the tramway operator, GEST.

Specifications were planned and co-ordinated together with our partner PA. Detailed planning and implementation followed at HANNING & KAHL, testing and acceptance by PA in some cases along with the end customer. PA then also performed assembly and commissioning of the HFP track circuits, HSK blocking circuits on site as well as the final acceptance of the HN-P equipment. Assembly and commissioning of all HANNING & KAHL point machines are also taken care of by trained PA staff.

The equipment is housed in two aluminum cabinets - one for the control elements and one for power distribution. The control modules include a classic track diagram stage and connection to Project Automation’s SMARTRAMS® system. The connection to SMARTRAMS® is made via the new HLU Gateway. The SMARTRAMS® system is installed in the SIRIO vehicles and at the tramway operation center and provides position and movement data for traffic coordination, passenger information in the vehicles and at the stop stations, and for the control of priority traffic light circuits at intersections with road traffic. 

Florence tram network is to be extended in the coming years; lines 4.1 and 4.2 are already being planned. In the long-year partnership between PA and HANNING & KAHL, many systems and units have been supplied in Italy and to other locations in Europe. We are already working together on new concepts for future projects in Italy.