The European Investment Bank (EIB) has proposed financing of €384 million for the urban rail development programme in Lyon. The scheme with a total value of €793 million will be implemented by public transport operator Sytral Mobilités. This is the first allocation under the 2021-0107 Lyon Transports Urbains 2026 loan programme, which aims to increase the capacities and service quality of the metro and light rail transit (LRT) networks in Lyon. The components proposed by the EIB include the modernisation of metro line B into a fully automated metro system, including the renewal of the signalling system and the purchase of 28 new metros. In addition, the renewal of 26 existing metros for metro line A is planned in order to extend their service life. Four metro stations on line A and a new transport control centre for the metro network are also to be renewed and upgraded. In the LRT network, the programme includes the purchase of 35 vehicles with a length of 43 m and the modernisation of the infrastructure of lines T1 and T2 to enable the operation of longer vehicles. The programme also includes the renewal and upgrading of the ticketing system for the entire urban public transport network.
