- The public company will invest 413,820 euros, VAT included, in replacing more than 10,000 Metrovalencia and TRAM d’ Alacant seats.
- The measure will affect 62 metros, 44 trams and 9 tram-trains, as the oldest trams, to be replaced in three years’ time, already have similar features.
Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana (FGV) will soon begin a progressive process of replacing the upholstery of the seats of the various rolling stock units of Metrovalencia and TRAM d’Alacant with the aim of achieving more efficient cleaning and better maintenance of these fundamental elements of the subways and trams.
The material chosen to replace the current seat covering, polypropylene with 25% fibreglass loading, is included in the railway regulations as it provides greater consistency and resistance. This material will have its own RIC code, which specifies what it is made of and the recommended recycling practices.
The aim is to achieve more effective cleaning, as the current coating fabric is much more difficult to clean. This is even more important today because of the COVID-19 pandemic, when cleanliness is one of the most important factors in the fight against the coronavirus.
In addition, another advantage of the replacement is that the maintenance of the seats will be easier to carry out because it will not be necessary to reupholster, as is currently the case when the fabric is torn.
In total, the change affects 10,180 seats, broken down into the 7,504 seats on the 62 metros that run in the Metrovalencia network, the 1,848 on the 44 Bombardier trams that run in both the Valencia and Alicante networks, and the 828 on the 9 tram-trains in the TRAM d’ Alacant network.
In the 25 Siemens trams of Metrovalencia, this replacement will not be necessary, since their seats are already made of a material with similar features. As for the 6 dual trains of the TRAM d’ Alacant network, FGV’s newest units, they will not be affected by the changes for the time being either, as their upholstery is brand new.
Regarding the investment that the public company is going to make in this initiative, the initial sum exceeds 410,000 euros, including VAT. The tendering process for the change in the Alicante tram-trains has already begun and, subsequently, the tendering process for the metros and trams will be launched.
Features
The seats will have, as at present, two colours to differentiate between general use and reserved seating. The parts will have an ergonomic design, especially improving the flat design of the parts of the metro units.
In the case of trams, the ease of assembly and disassembly will be considerably improved, while for tram-trains the complete seat, including handles, will be replaced by the same seat model but without the upholstered cover.
