The Aix-Marseille-Provence Region, Alstom and a designer from Marseille have finalised the design of both the interior and exterior of the city’s new metro vehicles. The first batch will start to appear on the tracks in 2023 for a test phase. The new fleet is due to enter revenue service with drivers in 2024 and to go driverless, after the installation of platform screen doors, by end 2026 (line M2) and end 2027 (line M1).
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New Marseille trains exterior (© RTM)
Following a consultation with the inhabitants of the region, the final design of the vehicles was chosen by a ballot, in which the winning design received 44% of the votes cast. The design is inspired by the region with the Mediterranean sunlight of Marseille being the main theme.
Accessibility was also a main focus, ensuring that all can easily travel by metro by having a floorplan that takes different abilities into account. Trains and the train-platform interface were designed through an iterative process involving PRM associations.
The vehicles have also been designed so that up to 96% of the vehicle can be recovered and recycled. Its green credentials also include a reduction of 25% of electricity thanks to electric brakes, LED lighting and other upgrades.
The modernisation of the system does not stop at the vehicles, but extends to the stations, 7 of which will be fully accessible by 2023 with 16 more starting their upgrades in 2024. Some stations such as Saint-Margueritte and Capitaine Gèze have already had lifts installed.
The conversion of Marseille’s two metro lines to fully automated operations was announced in 2015.
Source: RTM, Métropole Aix-Marseille-Provence, Alstom
The M7 is Istanbul’s second FAO line
After line M5 in 2017, Metro Istanbul inaugurated its second fully automated metro line, the M7, on 28 October. The first phase of the new line, running between Mecidiyeköy and Mahmutbey Kabataş, is 18.5km long and comprises 15 stations.
Upon completion, the line will be 32km long. It will be entirely located on the European side of Istanbul and will connect Kabataş to Esenyurt.
The supplier of rolling stock is South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem, which received an order of 30 four-car trains. 20 of the trains in this order will be used for the M7 while the remaining 10 are expected to serve on the M8, a line due to open next year.
Trains, as well as stations, are designed to be 100% accessible for passengers with reduced mobility. Stations are equipped with full-height platform screen doors.
More information and a photo gallery on the new line are available on the M7 factsheet.
Source: Metro Istanbul
One of the two new stations on the M4
On 28 March trains started running on the new Copenhagen line M4, the fourth line of the city’s fully automated metro network. With two new stations, the new line connects Nordhavn (an old industrial area under new development) to the rest of the Metro System in Copenhagen, sharing part of the route with the line M3 – Cityringen.
Because of the coronavirus outbreak in Denmark, all the celebrations in connections with the opening of the M4 line and the two stations – Nordhavn and Orientkaj – were cancelled. Despite a tight schedule, Metroselskabet (the transport authority) and Metro Service (the operator) successfully managed to meet all required deadlines.
With eight stops from the Copenhagen Central Station to Orientkaj in Nordhavn, the M4 doubles the number of departures across the city centre.
The Copenhagen Metro now operates four automated metro lines and with the opening of M4 covers 39.5 km, has 39 stations and is expected to carry more than 120 million passengers each year. A further extension of M4 with five additional stations has already started and is expected to open in 2024.
All the Copenhagen Metro lines are operated and maintained by Metro Service A/S, a privately held company and joint venture between ATM (Azienda Trasporti Milanesi) and Hitachi Rail STS. The latter company has also supplied trains and systems for the entire Copenhagen Metro.
Source: Metroselkabet I/S and Metro Service A/S
Test test test
Mid-December, after approximately three years of planning, the budget was approved for the first section (5.8 km) of the new fully automated metro line U5 in Hamburg.
U5 will be a new arterial route running through the city from Bramfeld to Arenen/Volkspark
The end of the planning approval process is expected in 2020 and construction is expected to start by the end of 2021.
Video of the future U5 route
Source: Hamburger Hochbahn
New Delhi Pink Line
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is planning to introduce driverless operations for two metro lines in New Delhi in 2020.
The Mangenta and Pink lines, opened in 2017 and 2018 respectively, were designed to allow fully automated operation. Read more →