Stadler to fit BLT with NOVA Pro

Stadler will retrofit BLT’s Basel-area tram network with its NOVA Pro train-control system, extending automation beyond the Waldenburg railway. (stadlerrail.com) BLT said on April 10, 2026 that Stadler will begin fitting 38 Tango trams and 25 TINA trams this year, with first test runs on Line 11 planned for 2027. (stadlerrail.com) NOVA Pro is a communication-based train control system, which means trains and track equipment exchange data continuously so software can manage speed, level crossings and station stopping more precisely. Stadler said the onboard and trackside systems will communicate over public 4G and 5G mobile networks. (stadlerrail.com) The automation model is not fully driverless. On the Waldenburg line, Stadler said trains already run in semi-automated Grade of Automation 2 service, where the driver gives departure approval and the system handles the trip. (stadlerrail.com) That Waldenburg deployment is the proof point behind the Basel rollout. Stadler said the line has recently been operating with punctuality above 99 percent, and BLT says its digital communication-based train control supports smoother acceleration and braking with less wear. (stadlerrail.com) (blt.ch) The scale is larger on the core network. BLT’s rail fleet page lists 25 TINA trams, introduced in 2024 and 2025, and 38 Tango trams, introduced between 2008 and 2016, matching the 63 vehicles Stadler says will be equipped. (blt.ch) BLT and Stadler already had a deep supplier relationship before this signalling contract. BLT signed a 125 million Swiss franc order with Stadler in November 2021 for 25 TINA trams, after already operating 38 Tango trams from the same manufacturer. (blt.ch) Line 11 is a logical test bed because it is one of BLT’s main tram corridors and is already undergoing infrastructure renewal, including track, overhead lines and accessible stops. BLT says parts of that route had reached the end of their service life and are being rebuilt in stages. (blt.ch 1) (blt.ch 2) BLT says it operates four tram lines, 19 bus lines and one railway line in the Basel region. The NOVA Pro rollout keeps the next automation step inside BLT’s existing network rather than on a newly built isolated line. (blt.ch)