Barcelona Metro operator TMB (Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona) has announced it has placed a contract worth over €260 million with Alstom for the design, manufacture, supply and commissioning of 42 Metropolis trains to replace those currently running on Lines 1 and 3.
The five-car trains will be manufactured in Alstom’s Barcelona site and delivered to TMB within two and a half years. They will meet strict sustainability criteria – light structure, low energy consumption, high levels of recoverability and recyclability, technical reliability and ease of maintenance. The trains will also be equipped with remote sensors for optimal maintenance.
To improve passenger comfort, the new trains will feature wide doors and spaces to facilitate passenger flow, anti-noise and vibration measures and passenger information in real time. Both external and internal design features will remain faithful to the TMB brand but will also add new visual elements that reflect the identity of Barcelona, such as graphics on the doors that represent Barcelona’s urban landscape.
After the contract was signed, Gian Luca Erbacci, senior vice president of Alstom in Europe, said: “Carrying over 400 million passengers per year, the Barcelona network is one of the most efficient and modern in Europe.
“With our trains, we aim to help TMB in the development of efficient and sustainable mobility that responds to the current and future needs of all passengers.”
Rosa Alarcón, president of TMB, added: “With the withdrawal of the oldest fleet, we accelerate a process of renovation that will increase service reliability, sustainability and passenger comfort in two of our most frequented Metro lines, in a context of maximum demand for the collective transport of Barcelona, upon the entry into force of the low-emission zone.
“This is the most important rolling stock acquisition in the history of TMB.”
It is not TMB’s first purchase of Alstom Metropolis trains, as earlier models operate Lines 9 and 10 on the Barcelona network.
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