Alstom and Lyon, France’s SYTRAL signed a contract worth approximately $98 million for the supply of new automatic operation systems to lines B and D of the metro. The automatic start-up of line B is planned for the end of 2019, and line D is scheduled to switch over to the new automated system in mid-2023.

The contract is part of the SYTRAL’s "Avenir Metro" (Future Metro) program. It aims to increase the transport capacity of lines A, B, and D of the Lyon metro to cope with an estimated 30% increase in ridership in the coming years. The transport capacity will be increased thanks to Alstom's solution, which will reduce the time between the trains, as well as by coupling the trains to each other at rush hour.

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Alstom will supply its Urbalis 400 solution, already deployed on more than 621 miles of metro lines around the world. A pioneer of CBTC Radio in 2003, Alstom equips 25% of all metro automation systems in service today.

The Lyon metro will benefit from a tried-and-tested system that is constantly being upgraded (on-board computers equipped with the latest technology, safety calculation systems with over 99% availability, beacon localization, and more). Completely optimized, Urbalis is also environmentally-friendly, enabling significant reductions in energy consumption.

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Two Alstom sites in France will be responsible for the design, manufacture and installation of the new automation systems for the Lyon metro: Villeurbanne for the supply of electronic products and equipment, as well as deployment and operational maintenance and Saint-Ouen for the Urbalis signaling system.