You can find them on line 15E. This is the first time in almost 30 years that Carris has had new articulated streetcars.
This Friday, September 22nd, the first three of the 15 new streetcars that Carris will have to strengthen and prolong the line 15Ewhich currently runs between downtown Lisbon and Algés, in Oeiras. The new streetcars will run on the 15E along with the older vehicles from 1995, which will remain in service.
The new articulated streetcars were commissioned to the Spanish CAF, through a public tender launched in 2019 and closed in 2021 by 40.4 million euros. The 15 vehicles will arrive progressively until the beginning of 2024. They are slightly longer than previous streetcars (they measure 28 meters instead of 24) and have more capacity (they carry 220 people instead of 205); they are also quieter and are, of course, more modern equipment. Inside, there are screens showing the stops and the route; and a ticket machine that accepts Multibanco, contactless and MB Way on board. The validators are also new, just like on the buses, and in the future they will allow you to touch your cell phone.
Line 15E currently runs between Praça da Figueira and Algés, but there are plans to expand it west to Cruz Quebrada and Jamor, and east to Santa Apolónia. Oeiras City Council has already shown Lisbon City Council is awaiting the completion of the drainage works and the consequent redevelopment of Santa Apolónia square (where it is planned to lay tracks) in order to take the 15E to the iconic railway station. To the west and east, a connection is planned between the 15E and the future LIOS surface metro.
Despite the arrival of the new streetcars (601-615 series), Carris will keep the previous ones (501-510 series) in operation. Of these, the company has 10 vehicles, of which only seven remain. The 508 and 504 streetcars suffered a violent collision in Cais do Sodré this summerStreetcar 506 has been at a standstill for several years, also due to an accident, lending parts to its "brothers". This situation has led Carris to use nine buses to reinforce line 15E on a daily basis, which has been in great demand, mainly because Belém is now an important tourist site.
This use of buses is also justified by the fact that Rua da Prata is cut off: while the streetcars run between Algés and Cais do Sodré, the buses can reach Praça da Figueira. It is hoped that in November, when the work on Rua da Prata is finished, the 15E will be able to resume its usual route. The Lisbon City Council recently announced its intention that, when it reopens, Rua da Prata will no longer have any car traffic: only public transport, bicycles and people walking.
At the moment, Carris has put into operation two of the seven new streetcars it already has in its possession, numbers 601 and 608. A third of the new generation will be running this week. This is the first time in 28 years that Carris has received new articulated streetcars and put them on the streets. In recent years, the company has been making an effort to renew its fleet, and by 2026 it expects to have invested 170 million euros in the purchase of approximately 350 new buses using clean energy (electric or natural gas); the aim is for 80% of the fleet to be "environmentally friendly" by that year. By the beginning of 2024, Carris expects to receive 44 electric buses (30 normal and 14 mini) and 24 articulated natural gas buses, enabling it to reach the target of 50% of the fleet being "environmentally friendly".
Carris is also going to work on its facilities in Santo Amaro. Not only does it want to improve its museum, but it also needs to expand the space where the streetcars rest.
