Interim assessment of the VAL automated guideway transit system. Interim report

Technical Report · Sun Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:5152297

Anagnostopoulos, G

This report describes an interim assessment of the VAL (Vehicules Automatiques Legers or Light Automated Vehicle) AGT system which is currently under construction in Lille, France, and which is to become fully operational in December 1983. This report contains a technical description and performance data resulting from a demonstration test program performed concurrently in August 1980. VAL is the first driverless AGT urban system application in France. The system operates at grade, elevated, and in tunnels on an exclusive concrete dual-lane guideway that is 12.7 kilometers long. The configuration of the system is a push-pull loop operating between 17 on-line stations. The system is designed to provide scheduled operation at 60-second headways and a normal one-way capacity of 7440 passengers per hour per direction with 55 percent of the passengers seated. Two pneumatic-tired vehicles are coupled into a single vehicle capable of carrying 124 passengers at line speeds of 60 km/hr. During the course of the demonstration test program, VAL demonstrated that it could achieve high levels of dependability and availability and could perform safely under all perceivable conditions.

• Research Organization: Department of Transportation, Cambridge, MA (USA). Transportation Systems Center
• OSTI ID: 5152297
• Report Number(s): PB-82-163783; DOT-TSC-UMTA-81-34
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320203* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Transportation-- Land & Roadway
AUTOMATION
CONTROL EQUIPMENT
CONTROL SYSTEMS
ELECTRIC RAILWAYS
EQUIPMENT
EUROPE
EVALUATION
FRANCE
RAILWAYS
RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEMS
RELIABILITY
SPEED REGULATORS
TESTING
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS
URBAN AREAS
WESTERN EUROPE