In Swiss elections, voters in the Vaud canton say yes to metro

In the Swiss elections of November 24, voters in the Vaud canton pronounced a firm oui for a new metro project, called the M2. Philippe Biéler, the member of the Vaud executive council in charge of infrastructure, called the vote a very positive sign that shows the capacity for the canton to look ahead to the future, reported the Lausanne daily Le Matin.

The driverless, six-kilometer line will run from the Lausanne neighborhood of Ouchy on Lake Geneva to the town of Epalinges, north of the city. The proposal passed with a canton-wide vote 61.96 percent, and in the Lausanne district, 74.28 percent of voters were in favor.

ALSTOM Transport will supply the fleet of 15 two-car trainsets, the control system and the track system. ALSTOM Transport will also supply the power system, with ALSTOMs Transmission and Distribution sector as a subcontractor.

Michel Moreau, President of ALSTOM's Transport sector, said: The Lausanne project is ALSTOM's third major reference in the promising driverless metro market, after two lines in Singapore. This new success will be a technological showcase for ALSTOM, mainly because the of the nature of the metro line, which involves line gradients of up to 12 percent at 60 kmh. 

Accompanying photo: Philippe Biéler, cantonal councilor in charge of transport, and Michel Joye, Managing Director of the Lausanne Public Transport Utility, cut a metro-train-shaped cake to celebrate the vote.

Press information: Helen Connolly
Tel. +33 (0)1 41 66 91 43
helen.connolly@transport.alstom.com