France’s Métropole Européenne de Lille (MEL) is to donate 23 surplus trams to Mykolaiv in Ukraine, supporting the city’s public transport network during the war.
Vehicles to be withdrawn as new fleet enters service
The trams are Breda VLC vehicles dating from the 1990s. They have been fully depreciated for three years and are being withdrawn as Lille begins introducing new Alstom Citadis trams ordered in late 2023.
MEL said Mykolaiv had experienced significant difficulty maintaining its rolling stock, partly because some spare parts had previously been sourced from Russia. It said the donated vehicles would otherwise be scrapped and could help sustain services that have been repeatedly disrupted by Russian attacks.
Gauge conversion required
Mykolaiv will organise and pay for the trams’ transport to Ukraine. Transfers will take place progressively as the vehicles are withdrawn from service.
The trams will require gauge conversion before they can operate. The Lille vehicles use metre gauge, while Mykolaiv’s network uses 1,524 mm broad gauge.
“International co-operation and European solidarity are part of the identity of Métropole Européenne de Lille. They are not abstract principles: they take on meaning when translated into action,” MEL President Eric Skyronka said on 9 October.
“This is the role of a major European metropolis: to build bridges, foster connections between peoples, and play its part in a Europe that is also built on solidarity between its territories,” he added.