The metropolis orders seven trains and dreams of a metro every minute

A little info to make you wait while waiting for the new metro line? While the work on line B was behind schedule (the Covid-19 but not only that), Rennes Métropole has just ordered seven new trainsets to equip its line A by 2025. Commissioned in 2002, the line fully automated system in the Breton capital will have to cope with a strong increase in the number of travelers when its little sister is put into service next spring. By purchasing seven additional trains from its historical supplier Siemens, line A and its 37 trainsets will see their transport capacity increase by more than 20%. Interest for travelers? Have the assurance of catching a metro every sixty seconds maximum and less crowded trains during rush hour.

To reach this rate, it will be necessary to wait a few years and wait for the completion of the work carried out at the Kennedy terminus station. Scheduled to last until 2028, this work includes the creation of a second quay, a change switch and the lengthening of the tracks intended for the storage of trainsets. A new layout similar to the one at the other end of the line at La Poterie, where cars can turn around. A project that seems innocuous but will cost more than 85 million euros according to estimates from Semtcar, a mixed economy company from Rennes Métropole in charge of the metro.

Upcoming penalties for Siemens?

According to the Siemens press release, these new VAL-type trainsets will “improve the experience and comfort of passengers for at least another thirty years”. The contract also provides for “the supply of spare parts” and the possibility “of purchasing additional trains as an option”.

The German manufacturer has also been selected by the metropolis to equip line B, delivery of which is expected in early 2022 and which will be operated by Keolis. The new trainsets, like the old ones, are capable of reaching a maximum speed of 80 km / h, which is one of the world benchmarks in the field. Already delayed by containments and a shortage of parts, the delivery of Line B has also been postponed due to concerns Siemens encountered during testing. The German manufacturer had admitted to having “underestimated the deadlines given the complexity of the system” explaining that the new CityVal trainsets selected by the metropolis are “a world first”. These delays could give rise to financial penalties.


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