2nd Public Transport Trade-Fair - ALSTOM places passengers
at the heart of innovation

Eco-design : designing trains that protect the
environment

ALSTOM has committed to integrate environmental factors into
the design of its products to control and reduce their
environmental impact throughout their lifecycle, from
manufacture to recycling. This approach has allowed ALSTOM
to:

• Improve the recyclability of its trains thanks to the use
  of reusable materials such as steel, aluminium or copper.
  ALSTOM also carries out research to use bio-materials,
  originating from renewable resources such as wood or hemp.
  This recyclability has now reached a minimum of 85% and can
  go as high as 95.2% for the TER 2NNG double-deck regional
  train.
• Reduce noise pollution both inside and outside the train
  by using insulating materials and by optimising the
  wheel-rail contact through the use of acoustic
  shock-absorbers. This approach has reduced the interior noise
  level in the ALSTOM METROPOLISTM metro by 7 decibels over 10
  years.
• Reduce energy consumption. The use of composite
  materials, improved traction system efficiency and
  articulated train architecture has allowed for a 10%
  reduction of mass and energy consumption.
  
  
  

  On-board energy systems: supporting urban integration
  Today the tramway can no longer simply be considered
  as a means of transport. For local authorities, it is also a
  means to think about their town in new ways and at the same
  time add value to their architectural heritage. To foster
  this trend, ALSTOM is committed to conducting research and
  development on solutions that allow the tram to blend
  harmoniously into its urban environment.
  
  
  ALSTOM is currently the only producer pursuing the
  development a range of totally innovative
  wireless solutions that represent a real
  technology breakthrough with respect to classical
  power-supply methods.

  • APS (Alimentation Par le Sol : ground-level power
    supply) is a power supply system that makes use of
    a third rail embedded in the tracks. The Bordeaux
    Metropolitan Area is the first city in the world to have
    opted for this totally innovative technology.
  • The battery is an autonomous on-board
    solution that allows the tram to operate in urban areas
    without overhead cables over distances under one kilometre.
    This technology was developed as a world-first on
    ALSTOMs CITADISTM tram in Nice: the historical
    character of the Masséna and Garibaldi squares can
    thus be preserved.
  • The inertia flywheel allows the tram to
    generate its own completely renewable power by recuperating
    the energy produced during braking. The inertia flywheel,
    developed in partnership with CCM (Center for Concepts in
    Mechatronics) and tested under real-life operating
    conditions since 2005 on the ALSTOM CITADIS tram in
    Rotterdam, innovates through its use of electro-magnetics.
    The system consists of a rotating mass positioned on the
    trams roof, which functions like a spinning top. The
    kinetic energy stored during braking is then returned to
    the traction system at the next acceleration. The system is
    charged whenever the tram brakes or via an
    additional fast charging system at each station. The use of
    the energy stored on board therefore allows a considerable
    reduction in electrical power consumption, with a system
    lifetime that is equivalent to that of the tram
    itself.

  Information and video surveillance: ensuring
  passenger security
  
  For ALSTOM, innovation for people also means strengthening
  passenger security.
  
  
  ALSTOM has therefore developed a unique on-board surveillance
  and passenger information system: AgateTM e-Media. More than
  just a video-surveillance security system, AGATE e-MEDIA also
  offers a high added-value service for passenger
  communication. Passengers receive real-time information on
  trip time, station waiting time, repairs, line incidents,
  etc. The operator can also use this system to promote its
  products and services or as interactive advertising space.
  These are all aspects that increase the comfort and
  attractiveness of public transport.
  
  
  ALSTOM is also working on a research and development project
  in the area of passenger security: surveillance by passenger
  behaviour analysis. This technology allows the detection of
  abnormal situations (shouts, attacks, fights, etc.) inside
  the cars thanks to latest generation on-board equipment
  (cameras, microphones, loudspeakers, GPS receivers, etc.).
  The operator can therefore intervene real-time and take
  appropriate measures according to the situation.

  Design and comfort: making the train a living space
  for all
  
  The quality of life on board is a priority for ALSTOM.
  Everything is done at the design stage to make the trip more
  pleasant and comfortable: ergonomic seats, materials, new
  colours and lighting.
  
  
  A frontrunner in accessibility for reduced-mobility
  passengers, ALSTOM addresses train and inter-car access right
  from the design phase: more access doors, low floors along
  the length of the train, no gap between platform and train
  thanks to  thresholds and mobile steps. Everything is
  designed to facilitate life on board and to make the train a
  living space for all:

  • Specific equipment: toilets, lifts, dedicated areas,
    grip bars and ramps designed and positioned to promote flow
    and movement.
  • Access to information: audio messages, dynamic line
    maps, sound and visual alarms for door closing, flashing
    door buttons that can be identified by touch.
    
     

  To improve passenger comfort further and to prepare for
  future trends, ALSTOM has teamed up with RCP, a design firm,
  to develop the sensorial design in trains. This approach
  consists of harnessing all five passenger senses through the
  feel of materials, colours, sounds, odours, temperature or
  lighting. Based on an overall assessment of passenger
  perception for all sensorial aspects, ALSTOM and RCP then
  define specific work areas for existing equipment such
  as:

  • Tactile perception of grip bars to make them more
    pleasant to the touch.
  • Auditory perception of door opening/closing sound
    alarms.
  • Olfactory perception of textiles and seats, which
    absorb odours and release perfumes.
  • Visual perception by adjusting colour associations and
    light variations.

   

  Contacts:
  
  Clotilde Provost 
  
  
  Tel.: + 33 (0)1 41 66 91 43 
  
  clotilde.provost@transport.alstom.com  

  Pauline Rey
  
  
  Tel.: + 33 (0)1 41 66 83 85
  
  pauline.rey@transport.alstom.com 

  Eric Lenoir
  
  
  Tel.: + 33 (0)1 41 66 98 74
  
  eric.lenoir@transport.alstom.com