Barcelona Metro operator TMB (Transportes Metropolitanos de Barcelona) has brought the first of its new trains into passenger service on line 3.
Fifty new metro trains will replace the Barcelona Metro lines 1 and 3 fleet. The commissioning of this first train on line 3 will be followed by the gradual replacement of the current fleet over the coming months. All the trains are being manufactured at Alstom's industrial site in Santa Perpètua, Barcelona.
Alstom boasts that the new trains are more sustainable, efficient and accessible trains than those they are replacing. The work forms part of a contract that the Metropolis family awarded to Alstom in October 2019, worth nearly €320 million. Alstom exhibited a full-scale model of the new train at Rail Live! in Madrid in 2021.
The new trains are based on Alstom's Metropolis range, while incorporating new innovations and technological solutions, with special emphasis on sustainability and accessibility. The trains feature a lightweight structure, low energy consumption, technical reliability, ease of maintenance and better air filtration. Accessibility conditions are included to comply current regulations in Spain, Catalonia and neighbouring countries. The five-car trains are equipped with remote control and sensors to manage rolling stock maintenance.
The new rolling stock also boats new information systems, more digital screens and real-time video surveillance cameras, low noise level USBs, ports for charging mobile devices, 100% LEDs lighting and ergonomic interior design.
Metropolis trains, which are available with driverless systems, feature low noise levels, high recyclability and optimised energy efficiency to minimise environmental impact. More than 30 cities worldwide have ordered or operated Metropolis trains, including Amsterdam, Singapore, Panama City, Barcelona, Paris, Riyadh, Dubai, Sydney and Montreal.
Leopoldo Maestu, presidente Alstom España (President of Alstom Spain), said, “It is an honour that TMB has once again trust in Alstom and our site in Catalonia to develop its latest generation of metro trains, that are at the forefront in terms of safety, sustainability, technology, accessibility and comfort.”
TMB President Laia Bonet said, “With these new trains, we are improving the service by offering more comfort and accessibility, and we are also moving towards a more sustainable mobility thanks to their lower energy consumption. They are also more accessible with wider doors and corridors, and we are very aware that this is a good solution for the mobility of everyone in our society, in our city.”
“It is an honour that TMB has once again trust in Alstom and our site in Catalonia to develop its latest generation of metro trains, that are at the forefront in terms of safety, sustainability, technology, accessibility and comfort. We share with TMB its commitment to social responsibility, for a sustainable future in the economic, social and environmental fields,” emphasises Leopoldo Maestu, President of Alstom Spain.
