Alstom will supply the Métropole Européenne de Lille (MEL) with 15 additional 52-metre long new-generation automated metro trainsets, at a cost of around EUR 210 million.
These new trains will complete the first batch of 27 trains already ordered by the MEL, equipped with the state-of-the-art Urbalis Fluence signalling and automated control system.
The metro trainsets in this new order will replace the old VAL-208 trainsets from 2028 onwards. This order is part of a general policy to modernise the Lille metro network, with the aim of introducing new rolling stock and modifying the automated train control system, to improve transport services on lines 1 and 2.
“Alstom is delighted with this new order from the Métropole Européenne de Lille for this new-generation equipment. These new, modern and comfortable metros represent a considerable asset for improving the network and the passenger experience,” Frédéric Wiscart, President of Alstom France, said.
Based on Alstom’s rubber-tyred metro solutions, the new 52-metre metros will offer greater comfort, improved accessibility and better passenger information. Each train will be able to accommodate up to 545 passengers and ease passenger flow thanks to its “boa” configuration, with wide gangways and open circulation without separations between the four cars, which allows passengers to move from one end of the train to the other. The addition of those 15 new metros will give line 1 a fleet exclusively made up of new-generation trains.
On board these metros, passenger information will be enhanced by multimedia displays and screens located throughout the train. There will be areas dedicated to people with reduced mobility, and an integrated video protection system will contribute to passenger safety on board the trains and on the platforms.
The trains will be equipped with the new-generation Urbalis Fluence autopilot system, the first worldwide application of which is for the Métropole Européenne de Lille. An ultra-innovative solution, which embeds the system’s intelligence into the trains, making them more autonomous and improving the system’s overall performance.
The Lille metro network will remain the most frequent metro in the world, with a train running every 66 seconds during rush hour.
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