Tisseo Collectivites, the transport network of Toulouse, inaugurated the new “XXL” Line A in its metro system. Awarded in November 2015, the “My Line A in XXL” project aimed to double metro capacity by increasing train lengths from 26 to 52 meters with 4-car rather than 2-car trains. The new trains can now carry up to 320 passengers, increasing the daily capacity of Line A from 220,000 to 400,000 passengers. The goal is to eventually reach an operating interval of 75 seconds between each train during peak hours to reduce waiting times and improve passenger experience in France’s fourth largest city.
“As one of France’s fastest-growing cities, Toulouse needs a transportation system that guarantees availability and provides a great passenger experience. Our VAL solution will help the city achieve these objectives by doubling capacity on Line A for daily commuters and visitors alike,” stated Sabrina Soussan, CEO of Siemens Mobility.
Siemens Mobility managed the overall system integration for the project, including engineering, software developments and modifications to the Val system (rolling stock, automation system, track, platform screen doors, network, automatic supervision and central control station in Basso-Cambo).
The remarkable commitment of the Siemens Mobility teams and their partners enabled them to complete the project within a very demanding timeline. Every night, a team of around fifty people from Siemens Mobility and its partners worked between midnight and four in the morning to modify the system. Each night shift concluded with tests to ensure that the new system functioned properly. Day after day, Siemens Mobility met all requirements for the line’s security and availability and enabled passenger service to begin at 5:15 a.m. During the summer of 2018, more than 100 people collaborated on the project.
The Siemens Val is the world’s first fully automated, driverless metro on tires, and the first line entered revenue service in 1983. A flagship product of Siemens Mobility, it has been developed in Toulouse. Le Val systems have already transported more than five billion passengers worldwide and are used for twelve automated metro lines whose performances are among the best in the world.
