SWITZERLAND: Lausanne transport operator Transports Publics de la Région Lausannoise has awarded Alstom a €295m contract to modernise automated light metro Line m2 to provide more capacity to meet growing demand.
The 6 km Line m2 from Ouchy to Croisettes which opened in 2008 climbs 338 m during the 18 min journey, with gradients of up to 12%.
CBTC deployment
The modernisatio
n programme includes the installation of Alstom’s Urbalis Fluence communication-based train control. This will allow trains to operate closer together, enabling more services to run.
The train‑centric architecture which puts more intelligence onboard is designed to limit the need for infrastructure changes and additional trackside equipment.
Alstom said this technology is well suited to the ‘brownfield’ modernisation of existing automated metro lines, making the best use of current assets and enabling phased upgrades aligned with long‑term network strategies.
The works will be phased to minimise disruption to services, with most installation and testing activities to be carried out overnight.
Fleet modernisation
A mid‑life modernisation of the line’s Alstom two-car rubber-tyred trainsets will also be undertaken at Alstom’s site at Villeneuve in Switzerland.
The FlexCare Modernise programme will include replacing the train control and monitoring system, which will be fully integrated with the new CBTC signalling, as well as an exterior refresh and enhancements to interior areas.
‘By pairing our new-generation, train-centric CBTC with a fully integrated mid-life upgrade of the fleet, we are boosting capacity while extending the performance of the existing trains for years to come’, said Marie Icardo, Managing Director of Alstom Switzerland, on May 5.
The agreement also includes technical support and obsolescence management services.
‘As Switzerland’s only metro system, m2 is a real success story’, said TL CEO Patricia Solioz Mathys. ‘The need to modernise the automation systems and increase capacity is crucial for the whole transport network in the Lausanne metropolitan area. We are delighted to be able to rely on Alstom’s expertise and knowledge in carrying out these strategic operations.’
- TL has appointed Delphine Morlier as its CEO from July 1. A member of the management team since 2024, she will succeed Patricia Solioz Mathys, who announced her departure last February after more than 5½ years in the role.