The Flexity tram in Graz has entered passenger operation, bringing the city’s newest tram generation into regular public transport service.

Graz puts its first Flexity tram into service
Graz puts its first Flexity tram into service

The Flexity tram was manufactured by Alstom⁠ and officially presented with Graz Mayor Elke Kahr and Holding Graz CEO Gert Heigl in attendance. The first vehicle carries the name “Theodora”, in honour of Theodora Acham. Together with Inge Steiner, Theodora Acham made history in 1988 as one of the first female tram drivers at Graz Linien.

Flexity tram in Graz and network modernization

The new trams are intended to improve comfort, accessibility, passenger capacity, and sustainability across the network. Their introduction is tied to wider tram infrastructure works in Graz, including the double-track expansion of Line 1 and further modernization projects within the Graz Linien system.

Alstom developed the Flexity vehicles for the specific operating conditions of the Graz network. Each tram is 34 meters long, making the type the longest tram ever used in the city. Inside, the vehicles offer larger multifunctional spaces, updated passenger information equipment, air conditioning, and a fully low-floor layout.

Comfort, accessibility, and capacity

Accessibility has been given particular attention. Wide doors, step-free boarding, and open interior areas are designed to make travel easier for passengers with wheelchairs or strollers. The added capacity also gives the operator more reserves as passenger numbers in Graz continue to rise.

The trams are being built at the Vienna-Donaustadt plant, which also links the order to Austrian industrial production.

Deliveries, financing, and approvals

The inaugural run marks the start of the gradual entry of the new fleet into scheduled service. Eight Flexity trams are currently already in Graz⁠, and they will enter passenger operation step by step. The first vehicles are planned for the busy routes 4, 7, and 17.

Seven more vehicles from the first batch are due to arrive by the end of the year. Deliveries of the next 16 ordered trams are scheduled to begin in March 2027. By mid-2028, 31 Flexity trams will be in operation in Graz.

According to the City of Graz, the city council is expected to approve the acquisition of another 24 vehicles this month. That order is planned for early 2027, with deliveries to start in late 2028. The financing is partly backed by the European Investment Bank⁠, which supports public transport systems under the EU’s climate policy framework.

The Flexity rollout forms part of a long-term plan to renew the tram fleet and prepare public transport in Graz for future needs.

Before entering service, the vehicles underwent testing in Graz over recent months. The programme included around 25 night runs and approximately 1,800 km of test operation. The approval process also required braking tests, electronic safety checks, air-conditioning tests, and route and gauge inspections.

After the technical documentation was completed, type approval was granted on July 7, 2025. The operating permit was applied for in April 2026 and was later approved.