Alstom has Enlisted Eurailtest to Test the New MP14 Automatic Metro Train
Alstom has enlisted Eurailtest to test the new MP14 automatic subway train before it goes into operation on the lines 4 and 14 of the Paris Metro.
Two big challenges
The extension of Metro line 14 is a project that began in the summer of 2014 with the gradual construction of new stations. The challenge? Connect the Parisian transportation network to the four future automatic lines of the Grand Paris Express. The line 14 would then become one of the main lines of Ile-de-France public transit system, extended to the north as well as to the south to Orly Airport. Another non-negligible benefit: Extending the line to Mairie de Saint-Ouen will provide relief to the currently crowded line 13.
The second challenge: the automation the Metro lines. RATP can claim to be a pioneer in this process, as line 1 was the first in the world to be fully automated with no interruption of service. Following the lines 14 and 1, the automation of RATP second-most-traveled line, the 4, is another step towards automating the Paris Metro.
These projects are being carried out almost at the same time and are being conducted by Ile-de-France Mobilité and RATP. Alstom, the manufacturer of this new MP14 automatic train, chose the Test and Measurement laboratory (LEM), Eurailtest’s partner, to conduct tests on it. These included tests of its electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) with the signaling, as well as dynamic behavior tests (measuring wheel stress in particular) when going past a particular switch. The tests were carried out on the RATP network, specifically on line 1, after preparing for them at LEM and at Alstom’s site. Other tests on the dynamic gauge were conducted internally to identify interactions between the rolling stock and the infrastructure.
The EMC tests were conducted following the EN-50238-1 standard; the LEM laboratory has COFRAC accreditation for such tests. Several tests were conducted between the fourth quarter of 2018 and the first quarter of 2019 at the Track Test Centre in Valenciennes (France). The remainder of the tests will be carried out in-line on the RATP network.
Commercial service is planned in 2020 for the extended line 14 and in 2022 for the automated line 4.