Valma stretched to 47 metres, boosting capacity to 345 passengers

Tampereen Raitiotie Oy said in a press release published via ePressi that on the evening of Saturday, April 4 it will fit the tram Valma with a roughly 10‑metre midsection at the Otanmäki factory, creating Tampere’s first 47‑metre tram. Local paper Tamperelainen adds that the 47‑metre Valma prototype is being brought back from Škoda Transtech’s factory in Kajaani after an Easter trip; it reports the outward journey faced tight turning clearances, so the return will be carried out in two separate transports, each carrying two‑module sections.

The insertion will raise the vehicle’s capacity from 264 to 345 passengers, an increase of more than 30 percent. Valma (TRO02) arrived in Tampere fully finished on 12 September 2020 and has since covered more than 385,000 kilometres on the network. TRO01, known as Lyyli, arrived earlier in 2020 partially unfinished for on‑site adjustments and later returned to the factory for final work before re‑entering service in October 2021.

Fleet manager Mika Luutikivi said Valma was chosen for the prototype conversion because its maintenance cycle meant major servicing, modification work and wheel rim changes are already complete, allowing testing over the summer with minimal disruption.

The lengthening will be carried out in two phases. First, a prototype midsection will be attached and tested at the factory; that installation and testing is expected to take about two months. The tram will then return to Tampere for type testing in summer 2026. If the prototype is approved, Škoda Transtech will manufacture 11 additional modules to be fitted at the operator’s depot. Deliveries of the extended ForCity Smart Artic X45 trams are due to begin in summer 2027, with the full series expected in service by summer 2028. The conversion programme is budgeted at about €18 million.

Three stops — Koskipuisto, Tulli and Hervantakeskus — still need platform extensions to accommodate the longer trams. Work on those stops can begin no earlier than mid‑April and is planned to finish by the end of September. Passengers will be able to board during the upgrades, though access routes may change temporarily. Tampereen Raitiotie Oy said it will publish a more detailed schedule in the coming weeks.