On July 16th 2018, Mayor of Florence Dario Nardella unveiled the extended T1 tram line operated by GEST, a subsidiary of RATP Dev.
The initial line from Villa Costanza has now been extended to Careggi hospital—11.5 km of tracks and 26 stations will enable Florentine locals to make the entire journey in 40 minutes, with trams running every four minutes from 5.00 a.m. to 12.30 a.m., and until 2.00 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
This extended line represents a real alternative in sustainable mobility for the Tuscan capital, which is very popular with tourists. With an estimated 20 million passengers annually, it is the equivalent of having 9,300 fewer cars per day on the city's streets and avoiding 12,500 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
GEST has been a partner of the Municipality of Florence since 2005 and launched the city's first tram line on 14 February 2010; it has been operating and maintaining the line ever since. "We are proud and honoured by the trust that the city of Florence and Florentine locals have placed in us. From the very first year the tram was introduced, the network was well-received and recorded 12 million passengers, more than 20% of the target set", explains Jean-Luc Laugaa, managing director for GEST.
This achievement is also shared by a team that was locally recruited and trained to the highest international standards. Transferring expertise and developing local talent represent a pledge of excellence promoted by GEST, as well as all of RATP Dev's operations worldwide, to offer cities and their inhabitants reliable, safe and innovative mobility solutions and services.