Zaragoza is the fifth largest city in Spain. As was typical in other important cities in Spain, Zaragoza had a tramway since 1885. In the 1960s, investment in the tram system declined, and in 1976, the last tram line in Zaragoza disappeared, with the public transport service changed to city buses.
In June 2009, the Project Company, Sociedad de Economía Mixta Los Tranvías de Zaragoza, S.A., was awarded the PPP contract with the Procuring Authority, the Municipality of Zaragoza, to build a new tramway system, procure the rolling stock, and operate and maintain both the tramway and the rolling stock. The tramway system is 12.8km long, has 25 stops, two inter-modal parking garages and two depots, one of which is used as a main central terminal building. The 25 stops are served by both double and simple/single platforms.
Included in the PPP contract is the delivery, operation and maintenance of the rolling stock. The rolling stock is of the type Urbos 3, manufactured by Spanish company, Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF), who is also an equity investor in the Project Company. Each unit has five coaches, with a total length of 33 metres. An interesting design feature of the tram system is that it uses an on-board energy storage system, which accumulates the energy recovered during braking and can also charge during the 20 second stops, allowing the tram to run without an overhead power supply.
The project reached two different dates for commercial close. The first date is the provisional award and the second is the definitive award. That was the process to follow according to the Spanish law at the time, allowing one month for legal objections. This presents a last chance for any third parties to raise objections to the contract award or any irregularities that could have occurred during the tender and awarding process.
This project has won several awards, the latest being the Global Light Rail Award "Best Environmental & Sustainable Initiative", awarded in London in October 2016.