Andorra Advances €400M Electrified Tram to Ease Border-to-Caldea Traffic

**Andorra's government advances plans for €400 million electrified tram to link southern border with Caldea and ease chronic traffic congestion**

The Andorran government is pushing forward with an electrified tram project designed to connect the southern border at the Runer river to Escaldes-Engordany's Caldea centre, covering roughly 15 kilometres in about 15 minutes regardless of peak times or holidays. The initiative aims to alleviate severe traffic saturation on the principality's road network, particularly during ski season rushes.

Estimated at around €400 million, the project draws inspiration from Lieja's recently opened tram in Belgium, which cost €430 million for a slightly shorter 12-kilometre line with 23 stops. Andorra's version would feature fewer than 16 stops, potentially lowering costs, though tunnels and elevated sections are needed to navigate the mountainous terrain. The Lieja model includes 20 trams, each 45 metres long and 2.65 metres wide, carrying up to 310 passengers at four-and-a-half-minute intervals from 5am to 1am daily. Andorra anticipates similar demand, projecting 86,000 daily passengers—close to Lieja's 90,000—according to the State Secretariat of Transport and Mobility, led by David Forné.

The proposed route starts at the border, passes through Sant Julià de Lòria and La Margineda with a tunnel leading to an elevated pass over Avinguda d'Enclar in Santa Coloma, then continues via Lycée, Prat de la Creu, and urban Escaldes to Caldea. Return trips would use an alternative path through Clot d'Emprivat, Avinguda Riberaygua, Carretera de l'Obac, and back to Lycée. Future extensions to La Massana and Encamp are planned, dropping earlier funicular ideas.

Currently in phase 2—implementation and infrastructure development—the project expects approval of the segregated public transport sectoral plan by late 2026. Securing funding remains the biggest hurdle, with options including European grants, public-private partnerships, or concessions with annual canon payments. Like Lieja's system, operations would require state subsidies as fares alone cannot cover investment, energy, and maintenance.

Parcels for the route, stops, depots, auxiliary buildings, and nearby parking must be incorporated into urban plans by the communes of Sant Julià de Lòria, Andorra la Vella, and Escaldes-Engordany, which have two months to propose changes before the government finalises the sectoral plan. Negotiations, rather than expropriations, are prioritised with communes and landowners.

Proponents highlight environmental gains: government studies forecast a 25-41% drop in pollution levels as vehicles are removed from roads, improving air quality and quality of life amid growing congestion. Convincing drivers to switch will demand extensive public outreach, officials acknowledge, given current car dependency. While ambitious, the tram faces a long road ahead, with no expropriations planned and extensions beyond Caldea—like to La Seu d'Urgell—deemed unrealistic.