By ashleykaren
Toulouse transport operator Tisséo has started work on the city’s third metro line by making a 30 m deep evacuation shaft in the Sept-Deniers district.
Formerly directed as Aerospace Express and currently designated as Line C, the automated line from Colomiers railway station in the west of the city to Labège on the southeast will be 27 km in length with 21 stations, helping the Blagnac district near the airport, the Airbus facilities and Toulouse-Matabiau station. There will be interchanges with lines A and B at five stations. Ridership is anticipated to be 200000 passengers a day.
Not less than 22 km and 17 stations will be under the ground, with 5 km and four stations upgraded. Five TBMs will bore the section from Colomiers to Montaudran Piste des Géants.
The largest construction contract was granted to a consortium of Eiffage GC (lead contractor), NGE GC, Eiffage Fondations and NGE Fondations. It is worth about €589m and covers tunnel and ancillary works on the 8·4 km section from Airbus St-Martin to Raynal and the completion of six stations between Jean Maga and Toulouse Lautrec.
A consortium of Bouygues TPRF (lead contractor), Baudin Châteauneuf, Bouygues TP and Solétanche Bachy FP will construct the Montaudran Piste des Géants – Labège elevated section for €132m.
Also, Solétanche Bachy France (lead contractor), Bouygues TPRF and Buesa SAS will build the Daturas depot near Sept Denier’s station and the connecting tunnel for €11m.
Alstom is said to provide Urbalis 400 CBTC, a Hesop reversible substation and Appitrack modular trackform.
However, all civil works are to be finished by 2027, while the installation of equipment and the opening of revenue services are scheduled for 2028.
Line B and tram connections
The total project cost of Line C is said to be €3·4bn, but this contains a two-station extension of Line B from Ramonville to Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse, and a new stop at Jean Maga on tram routes T1 and T2, which will deliver interchange with Line C. Subsequently, T2 is to be rebranded as Airport Express and will only operate between Jean Maga and the airport.
As reported, funding is coming from Tisséo, the national government, the département of Haute-Garonne, the Occitanie région and the EU.
Train mock-up unveiled
On January 26, Tisséo revealed a mock-up of the Line C trainsets to be provided by Alstom; the full-size model was displayed at Capitole in the city center until February 9.
The 27 two-car Metropolis trainsets will have 36 m length and 2 700 mm width, with three 1·5 m wide doors per car side. The air-conditioned trains are said to be fitted with LED lighting that adapts to travel conditions, reinforced air filtration and antibacterial coatings on the handrails.
A two-car trainset will have the capacity for 286 passengers or 5000 people per hour per direction. If ridership increases, the trains have requirements for extending to three cars, increasing capacity to 386 passengers.
The trains have been developed in partnership with sensorial design specialist RCP and will have a blue and red livery, reflecting the color of the city arms.
The production of the first trains is expected to begin in 2024, and all are predicted to enter service with the opening of the line in 2028.
