The second line of the Rennes metro, which was to be put into service in December 2020, is once again delayed due to technical problems encountered by Siemens on its new automatic Cityval train, the manufacturer announced on Tuesday.
"
We were confronted with a certain number of technical problems, singular and residual breakdowns on the fleet
", declared during a press conference Laurent Bouyer, president of Siemens Mobility France.
Read alsoThe new ambitions of Siemens Mobility in France
Laurent Bouyer did not want to announce a new date for commissioning, while the launch of line b of the Rennes metro has already been postponed four times since May 2020 and was due to take place before the end of May.
Siemens will only be able to “
confirm at the beginning of June 2022 the date on which we will be able to deliver almost turnkey, the metro to the metropolis of Rennes
”, specified Laurent Bouyer.
“
We need a little more time.
Of course, we regret it.
We are completely responsible for the situation and we fully assume it
, ”added Laurent Bouyer.
According to him, Siemens has "
been confronted with youth defects
" on this new automatic metro, in particular "
technical constraints
on the guidance system and during the “
automatic start
” phase .
Last generation of automatic metro, the Cityval is supposed to be more spacious and more scalable than the Val (Light automatic vehicle), which equips the first line of the Rennes metro.
A capacity of 110,000 people for the Cityval
The 15 stations of the second line as well as their park and ride facilities have been completed since December 2020 and are only waiting for the trains.
“
On the infrastructure side, excluding rolling stock, everything is in place
,” said Nathalie Appéré, PS president of Rennes Metropolis.
"
There is a part of disappointment coupled with exasperation (...) I must say my frustration with the fact that this commissioning, we will not be there at the end of May
", added the elected official.
When questioned, Nathalie Appéré specified that the late penalties owed by Siemens were counted in "
tens of millions of euros
", without further details.
Read alsoRennes metro works at a standstill
At full capacity, the Cityval should carry 110,000 people a day and make it possible to travel the thirteen kilometers of line b in 21 minutes, with a frequency of 67 seconds between trains at peak times.
After Rennes, this new automatic metro should be put into service at Bangkok and Frankfurt airports in 2022 and 2023. "
Everything we develop here is systematically implemented in Bangkok and Frankfurt
," Laurent Bouyer told AFP. AFP, without commenting on the timetable for these projects.
