Siemens Mobility to Supply 57 VAL208 NG3 Metro Trains for Lille Line 2

The European Metropolis of Lille (MEL) has voted to award Siemens Mobility a new contract to supply 57 of its VAL208 NG3 automatic metro trains for operation on the city’s 31km Line 2.

The new trains will replace the current fleet of VAL206s, which first entered service in 1989.

Worth 445 million EUR, the contract forms part of an initiative to modernise MEL’s urban transport network without installing new infrastructure – a method of expansion also adopted by Toulouse in 2020 and Rennes in 2021.

The contract, which also includes the supply of spare parts, technical documentation and agent training, will see Siemens begin delivering units at the end of 2028.

Alexandre Quéméneur, President of Siemens Mobility France, said:

Following the Metropolitan Council meeting, the European Metropolis of Lille voted to award the renewal of its automated metro fleet for Line 2 to Siemens Mobility. We thank them for their renewed trust, the result of a fruitful partnership spanning more than 40 years.

This contract illustrates our commitment to supporting metropolises in increasing the capacity of their networks with reliable, efficient, and sustainable transport solutions that meet the growing demand for mobility. Siemens Mobility benefits from a solid technological base in France. This new project will be managed by our teams in Toulouse and Lille. Nearly 55% of the activities will be carried out in France.

The new VAL208 NG3 trains will operate with Siemens Mobility’s traditional control system, and will incorporate a new powertrain. The trains will be designed in Toulouse, with project management coordinated between both the site in Toulouse and a site in Lille.

Manufacturing is set to take place within the group’s European network of manufacturing plants, with 55% of activities carried out in France.