Track laying work on the extension of Lyon Metro’s line B from Oullins to Saint-Genis-Laval has been completed, with the connection of the extension to the existing tunnel behind the Gare d’Oullins station.
Work began a year ago, and a total of 1,600 welds and 1,500 tonnes of rails have been used to complete the track’s extension.
Bruno Bernard, President of the Métropole de Lyon and SYTRAL Mobilités, said:A total of 2.4 kilometres of railway track has been laid and connected to the existing network.
This marks the launch of a decisive phase: preparation for the first tests which will start in the spring of 2023.
Key operational devices will now be installed and connected before tests begin in March.
This includes the electrical cabinets that will supply the stations and the tracks, fans for smoke extraction and the computers that will ensure the automatic circulation of the metro.
Two new stations are being created as part of the extension, Oullins and Saint-Genis Laval Hôpital Lyon Sud. These are now in their finishing phases, with wall coverings being laid and escalators installed.
The extension project also includes a multimodal exchange centre with a park and ride designed to encourage intermodality of travel through links to line B and a dozen bus lines.
At the beginning of next year, the site of the hub should move into its finishing phase, with the locksmithing and the installation of the railings.
When it opens, it will be will be the largest park and ride in the Transports Commun Lyonnais (TCL) network, with 780 car spaces, 550 bicycle spaces and more than 90 spaces reserved for carpooling.
