The European Metropolis of Lille (MEL) has won a European Commission call for projects and will receive nearly €64 million to renew and green its public transport rolling stock. The direct grant is backed by a €425 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB). The money goes to the Rolling E-Mob project, which is set to increase metro capacity and electrify part of the bus fleet.
What the project covers
Rolling E-Mob (“Rolling stock for electric mobility”) rests on four main operations:
| Operation | Cost |
|---|---|
| 15 new 52-metre metro trains for line 1 | €210 million |
| 57 new 26-metre trains for line 2 | €445 million |
| Renovation of 60 line 2 trains | €110 million |
| 65 battery-electric buses and electrification of the Sequedin depot | contracts under way and upcoming |
The new line 1 trains will allow 27 current 26-metre trains to move to line 2. According to the metropolis, this will increase the service offer by 50% on line 1 and by 30% on line 2. The 57 new trains for line 2 will replace the oldest ones. The renovation of 60 line 2 trains aims to extend their service life while controlling costs and the carbon footprint.
The financing
The programme’s €489 million financing package combines the €425 million EIB loan and the direct grant of nearly €64 million from the European Commission. The grant is awarded under the public sector loan facility of the Just Transition Mechanism. This is the second time MEL has obtained the largest French grant awarded under this facility. MEL president Eric Skyronka said that, after GREENMO, the new support confirms the metropolis’s ability to carry ambitious projects.
Why the metropolis is doing it
MEL says the funding supports its aim to strengthen public transport, make it more attractive and speed up its decarbonisation. Beyond renewing vehicles, Rolling E-Mob is expected to reduce energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants linked to travel. More metro capacity, the electrification of part of the bus fleet and wider use of renewable energy feed into the network’s decarbonisation path and the EU’s climate neutrality goal for 2050.
Context on line 1
The entry into service of 52-metre trains on line 1 is already in progress. Incidents on 16, 17 and 20 September were caused by the deployment of a new version of the automatic driving software. On 13 October the MEL president met the management of Alstom and Keolis Lille ilévia, seeking commitments that include continuing the rollout of the 52-metre trains. Any new entry into service will depend on sufficient guarantees of the system’s reliability and robustness.