High Speed Systems and Trains
Light Rail Transit
Technical, economic and environmental features Experience
Importance and Development of automation
in urban transit systems In France, automation was developed in the sixties to adapt public transport to high traffic capacity and improve performance standards. Applied to driving and monitoring of driving, automation offers the advantages to:
- improve operating safety
- reduce the minimum authorized headway
- improve regularity by removing hazards associated with manual driving
- cut down operating costs by reducing the personnel needed onboard train.
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- In the mid-80s, a driver assist system (SACEM)
for train control, operation and maintenance was developed to improve performance
standards on heavy subways. To this day, the flexibility and compatibility with existing
installations make the SACEM very attractive to existing subway operators.
| - In May 1984, the VAL
(Automated Guided Transit) light subway system was started in the Lille urban area
(France): it was the first fully automatic subway to cover a metropolitan area, a mass
transit accomplishment of primary importance which SYSTRA is proud to be part of.
- After demonstrating its feasibility and efficiency on light subway, automation was implemented on heavy subway systems. Placed into service in 1992 over line D of the Lyon (France) subway network, MAGGALY, was the first example of integral automation of an existing heavy subway line designed to run without driver. |
|
Lille, VAL  Paris, METEOR Central control room |
- Finally, to adapt public transport to the challenges of
the twenty-first century, a new automated subway line has been created. METEOR, the
fourteenth Paris subway line designed to run in october 1998, will be entirely automated.
With a commercial speed of 40 km/hour and a transport capacity of 25,000 passengers per
hour in each direction, the estimated traffic for the first year should reach 96 million
passenger journeys. |
Technical,
economic and environmental features 
| SACEM, an example of driving, operating and maintenance aid system: | The VAL system, one of the most reliable and least expensive systems in the world: |
| - based on the 'coded
monoprocessor' technology to detect material breakdowns - increases traffic capacity by reducing headway - increases the number of train departures and the number of transported passengers while ensuring running safety - can be associated with the existing signaling system - adapted to a mixed train fleet - modular (driving aid, operating aid, assistance to maintenance) depending on the operator's requirements. |
- system with dedicated
right-of-way - easily adapted to local site conditions - optimized investment cost - full automation permits high frequency train operation (one per minute) - unequaled safety and reliability - quiet, pollution free system, reduced energy consumption - system conforms to railroad standards. |
Experience
SYSTRA has been actively involved in the following projects, as regards :
| SACEM in service
outside of France: |
The VAL system: |
| Mexico City subway : SACEM first
time exported on line A (1991), followed by line 8 (1994) Hong Kong subway : new line connecting the city centre with Chek Lap Kok International Airport (1998) Projects under way : Hong Kong subway
: Santiago de Chile subway
: . replacement of the existing automatic driving system on line 1 and line 2 |
Lille (1983) 2 lines (line 2 to be completed by 2000) -45 km (of which 36.5 km underground) -61 stations Orly (1991), line to the Orly airport, connected to the RER network 1 line -7.2 km (of which 2.8 km underground) -3 stations Toulouse (1993) 1 line -10 km (of which 9 km underground) -15 stations Taipei (1994)
Rennes (2001)
|