France: MEL, the transport operator of the Lille Metropole area, has chosen Alstom to supply 15 unmanned Metropolis rubber-tyred trains. The rolling stock, worth €210 mln, is expected to enter service in 2028.
As Alstom’s press service told ROLLINGSTOCK, the trains to be delivered under the new order are similar to those ordered in 2012. Each four-car trainset will accommodate 545 passengers.
Under the first contract, Alstom was to deliver 27 trains by 2015, but for various reasons the delivery has been delayed until 2026. The manufacturer has already paid more than €53 mln in penalties.
At the end of 2023, MEL has brought an action against Alstom for compensation for the damage caused by the delays. The court dismissed the claim, ruling that Alstom had paid the fines sufficiently and had agreed to cover the cost of the replacement buses.