Transports de Lausanne (TL) have entrusted SYSTRA with the production of the operating methods for the future automatic metro (M2 project) which is to connect Ouchy, on the edge of the lake of Geneva to Croisettes, some 600 metre further up.
The project will be a world first in more than one respect: it will befully automatic, tyre mounted, and will climb slopes with gradients up to 12 percent at 2 minute intervals on the central section.
The services entrusted to SYSTRA will take a year or so to design. The project which goes back more than 8 years, has successfully gone through all the stages imposed by the Swiss constitution, particularly with a decisive votation in November 2002, when the system characteristics and budget were finalised.
In addition, SYSTRA could become involved in the test phase for the subsystems and in the integration one, as well as in the processing of the interfaces between the driving automatic control and the other systems and structures.
It is to be expected that this daring project will give ideas to other towns handicapped by an unfavourable relief!