• Several times delayed, the commissioning of line B of the Rennes metro is still planned by the end of May according to Siemens.

  • One month before the deadline, Nathalie Appéré, president of Rennes, however expresses "her doubts" about the ability of the German manufacturer to keep this schedule.

Will line B of the Rennes metro open by the end of May as planned?

For the German manufacturer Siemens, the answer is yes.

But on the side of the metropolis, we are a little less optimistic.

This Thursday evening, Nathalie Appéré, mayor of Rennes and president of Rennes Métropole, thus expressed “her doubts about the real ability of Siemens to meet the deadlines to which it had committed”.

At the end of December, Laurent Bouyer, president of Siemens Mobility France, said that the second line would be delivered “at the earliest at the end of April, at the latest at the end of May 2022”.

One month from the deadline, the timing therefore looks tight.

For several weeks, the dry run has been taking place on the line with the trains running empty in order to test the rolling stock.

“This development is really and positively progressing,” underlined the elected socialist at the opening of the meeting of the metropolitan council.

“But Siemens has fallen behind the milestones it set for itself, so I just can't guarantee you tonight that it will meet the deadlines,” she added.

Delivery already delayed several times

Already delayed by the Covid-19 epidemic, the metro line B construction site, which should have been delivered at the end of 2020 and then in the summer of 2021, also encountered some technical problems.

In the spring, Siemens had thus admitted to having "underestimated the delays in the face of the complexity of the system", explaining that the new CityVal trains retained by the metropolis were a "world first".

Supply problems on certain electronic components have also appeared in recent months, as have technical difficulties with equipment.

In the coming days, new “decisive” meetings must take place between the various actors.

"They will come to specify, and we all very sincerely hope to confirm the opening schedule", added Nathalie Appéré, giving an appointment "in the coming weeks".

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  • reindeer

  • Brittany

  • Transportation

  • Public transport

  • Line B

  • Metro

  • Siemens

  • Nathalie Appere