Toulouse Metropole awarded Alstom the system contract for Toulouse Aerospace Express, the city’s third new metro line. EUR 470 million is the value of the contract which could eventually be worth EUR 713 million, including all options.
The line will be 27 km-long, consisting of 21 stations and will serve the aviation labour pool.
Alstom has submitted a “very competitive system offer while proposing its latest technologies and innovations on the various subsystems for the vehicles, signalling, infrastructure and power supply,” Jean-Baptiste Eyméoud, President of Alstom in France, said.
Under the contract, Alstom will deliver the Metropolis trains, its Urbali 400 CBTC solution for driverless operation and Hesop reversible substations. The contract also includes platform screen doors, including a dynamic system for load indication, and the track including the laying with the automated solution Appitrack. The order includes six years of maintenance, with 12 years of maintenance as an option.
The design selected for the system and the metro makes it possible to propose a solution that minimises waiting time in stations, with reduced traffic frequency from the moment of entry into service, but which, by increasing the number of metro cars from 2 to 3, increases the transport offer to 15,000 passengers per hour in each direction, without modifying the infrastructure. Under the contract, Alstom will design the system to be able to go up to 15,000 passengers. The base contract is for 5,000 with options to go up to 10,000.
The metro trains to be delivered, based on Metropolis platform, is designed to improve passenger experience as well as reconcile performance, energy efficiency and ease of maintenance, in order to control costs throughout its life cycle. The train will be characterised in particular by increased volumes on board and large openings to the exterior. The experience of the journey will be made more pleasant with an atmosphere that is air-conditioned and quiet, LED lighting that adjusts to travel conditions, reinforced air filtration and antibacterial coatings on the handholds for a healthier interior.
The transport system solution provided by Alstom has also been designed to reduce operational costs, achieving major energy savings through a combination of reversible Hesop substations with regenerative braking, efficient traction and braking systems and improved CBTC automatic train control strategies.
The project also includes the construction of a rail track that reduces friction and fine particles to a minimum, thanks to steel-on-steel operation and offers guaranteed performance over time.
With this contract, Alstom is making a long-term commitment to mobility in Toulouse by ensuring the construction and maintenance of this third line on behalf of Tisséo.
Alstom is committed to involve the local partners and local employment expecting to employ more than 600 people from France, including up to 400 people in the Toulouse metropolitan area at the peak of the project’s activities. 80% of the hours spent working on this project will be in France and 55% directly in the region of Occitanie. Jobs will also be created with our suppliers in France and in the city of Toulouse for the activities of installation, infrastructure and system deployment.
The Toulouse Aerospace Express project is part of a drive to increase the city’s appeal with the help of sustainable, inclusive mobility. The project is estimated at EUR 2.7 billion and is expected to be completed in 2028.
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