France: Fleet of five four-car driverless rubber-tyred metro trainsets Boa began operating on the French city’s Line 1 metro on 14 February. Lille agglomeration transport operator MEL expects to introduce the full batch of 27 trainsets by September.
Originally the rolling stock was due to enter passenger service during the UEFA Euro 2016 football championship. However, Alstom repeatedly postponed the date, and from 2019 began paying MEL compensation for delays totalling more than €50 mln. Among the reasons for missing delivery deadlines and subsequent entry into service, the company cited problems developing software for the automatic train operation system, difficulties integrating it with existing infrastructure, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Boa driverless rubber-tyred metro train in Lille. Source: LFrancivigo/X
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.
The Boa trainsets will gradually replace VAL 206 trainsets that have been in service since 1983 and were the world’s first fully automated metro trains. Thanks to increased length and inter-car gangways, maximum passenger capacity on Boa has risen from 210 to 521. The new automatic train operation system fitted to the trainsets is also said to reduce energy consumption by 20% and cut maintenance costs.
It is worth noting that despite the delay, at the start of last year MEL again selected Alstom to supply a further 15 driverless trainsets. They are expected to enter service in 2028.
