LAUSANNE Region Public Transport (TL) has signed a contract worth €295m with Alstom to supply a new CBTC signalling system for the fully automated metro Line M2 in the Swiss city. The contract also includes mid-life refurbishment of the M2 fleet.
To reduce headways and increase capacity in order to meet growing demand, Alstom will supply its Urbalis Fluence CBTC system. According to the manufacturer, the system’s train‑centric architecture and onboard equipment reduce the need for installing additional trackside equipment, improving performance while making best use of existing assets.
The M2 fleet of rubber-tyred trains will be refurbished at the Alstom plant in Villeneuve in Switzerland. This will combine interior refurbishment with renewing onboard equipment, including the train control and monitoring system (TCMS) which will be fully integrated with the new CBTC signalling.
Alstom will also provide technical support and obsolescence management services. Work to install and test the new CBTC system will mainly be undertaken overnight to minimise disruption and ensure that trains can continue to run throughout.
Line M2 opened to passengers on October 27 2008, running for 5.9km from Ouchy to Croisettes and serving 14 stations. Alstom originally supplied the signalling system as well as the fleet of 18 two-car trains, which in 2024 carried a total of 36.1 million passengers.
“As Switzerland’s only metro system, M2 is a real success story,” says TL managing director, Patricia Solioz Mathys.
“The need to modernise the automation systems and increase capacity is crucial for the whole transport network in the Lausanne metropolitan area.”
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