While the Lille metro network has been significantly reduced for several weeks, users will be able to count on a return to almost normal for line 1 at the end of September and by All Saints’ Day for line 2.
Since the discovery of asbestos on old metro trains in Lille, the frequency had been significantly reduced in recent weeks. Good news: users can expect a return to almost normal in the coming weeks.
For line 1, we will have to wait until the end of September and All Saints’ Day for line 2, announced Franck Garçon, general manager of Ilévia, in an interview with La Voix du Nord.
“We can see that the situation is complicated on the ground. We all see that during rush hour, users have to wait for several trains to be able to access the metro. We are sorry and are doing everything in our power to resolve these problems,” he said.
As he explained to the Lille daily, almost a quarter of the fleet has already been put back into service, meaning a metro frequency of two minutes on line 1 and two minutes 50 on line 2. “Every week, we will put new trains back into service and increase frequency,” assured Franck Garçon.
“No commercial gesture”
As for asbestos, the risk was quickly dismissed. “I want to state that there is no risk. The many tests we have carried out have shown that there are zero asbestos particles in the air,” he explained.
Announcements that are all the more important just a few days before the Braderie de Lille. The CEO of Ilévia specified that “the frequency of metro trains will be one minute thirty seconds on line 1” and that of line 2 will also be improved.
However, Franck Garçon was clear. “We are well aware that this is not easy for our users. There will be no commercial gesture to date. I preferred to put these resources into offering reinforcements.”
