Alstom has secured a €210m ($217.2m) contract to produce 15 additional automated metro trainsets to Metropole Europeenne de Lille (MEL).
These trainsets, equipped with the Urbalis Fluence signalling and automatic control system, will join the initial batch of 27 trains previously ordered by MEL.
The brand new 52m trains are scheduled to interchange the ageing VAL-208 trainsets ranging from 2028, as a part of MEL’s plans to modernise the Lille metro network.
The modernisation initiative goals to upgrade the rolling stock and automatic train control systems on lines 1 and a pair of.
Alstom France president Frederic Wiscart said: “Alstom is delighted with this latest order from the Métropole Européenne de Lille for this new-generation equipment.
“These latest, modern and comfy metros represent a substantial asset for improving the network and the passenger experience.”
In response to Alstom, its rubber-tyred metro solutions will be certain that the brand new trains deliver increased comfort, enhanced accessibility, and higher passenger information.
Able to accommodating as much as 545 passengers, the brand new metros will facilitate passenger movement with their “boa” configuration, which allows unrestricted access throughout the train.
The trains will feature multimedia displays and screens, dedicated areas for those with reduced mobility, and an integrated video protection system to make sure safety.
Furthermore, the trains can be fitted with “high-performance” traction equipment to spice up energy efficiency.
The Urbalis Fluence autopilot system, a technology that “embeds the system’s intelligence directly into the trains”, can be part of those latest trainsets. This innovation will enhance the autonomy of the trains and the general performance of the system.
The production of those latest trains can be undertaken at six of Alstom’s 16 French facilities, including Valenciennes-Petite Forêt for assembly and testing, Le Creusot for bogies and Ornans for motors.
Additional sites include Tarbes for powertrain equipment, Saint-Ouen for automated systems and Urbalis Fluence development, and Villeurbanne for on-board computing and passenger information.
In November 2024, Alstom renewed its contract to operate and maintain the Automated People Mover (APM) system at Denver International Airport, valued at $228.6m.
The seven-year contract, effective from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2032, will employ 91 Alstom staff.
“Alstom to deliver automated metro trains for Lille’s modernisation project” was originally created and published by Railway Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.