Valma tram gets lengthening module, becoming Tampere’s longest

Tampereen Raitiotie Oy announced that a roughly 10-metre extension module has been built for the Valma tram and will be attached to the vehicle at the Otanmäki factory after delivery on Easter Saturday, 4 April. The change will turn the tram into a 47-metre-long vehicle and increase passenger capacity by more than 30%, from 264 to 345 seats.

The company says Valma, also known as TRO02, is the first tram of the Tampere Ratikka fleet to arrive fully completed in the city. It was delivered to Tampere on 12 September 2020, while the earlier TRO01 tram Lyyli arrived partially unfinished in May the same year so that final fitting and commissioning could be completed without harming its interior. After testing, Lyyli was returned to the manufacturer for finishing and came back to the depot in October 2021.

Tampereen Raitiotie Oy adds that Valma has already accumulated more than 385,000 driving kilometres. Valma was selected for the extension project due to its maintenance cycle, and the tram has undergone major servicing, modification work and wheel rim replacements, allowing it to be used for testing through the summer with minimal disruption. The extension module order is handled as an option in two phases: first, a prototype module will be made and joined to Valma at the factory.

According to the announcement, installing and testing the prototype will take around two months at the plant. After that, the extended tram will be transported to Tampere during summer 2026 for type tests to confirm that the long tram works on Tampere’s tram system; the most intensive testing is expected to end by the end of August. For safety reasons, no passengers will be on board during the test phase. Once the prototype is validated in Tampere, Škoda Transtech Oy will manufacture 11 additional extension modules, which will be fitted at the depot to existing trams. Deliveries of long trams with the extension parts are scheduled to start in summer 2027, with the full 11-tram series targeted to be in service by summer 2028.

The press release also outlines infrastructure updates. The tram network is already designed for 47-metre vehicles except for three stops, so the stops at Koskipuisto, Tulli and Hervantakeskus will be extended. The work is planned to cause as little disruption as possible; boarding will remain possible at all stages, though temporary changes to access routes may occur. Stop extensions can begin at the earliest in mid-April and should be completed no later than the end of September, with the schedule to be specified during the spring.