The MP 55 was the first generation of the rubber tired variant of

electric multiple unit An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple-unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a numbe ...

s used on

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

's Métro system. The trains were manufactured by a

consortium A consortium (plural: consortia) is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations or governments (or any combination of these entities) with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for ...

between Renault, Brissonneau et Lotz, and

Alstom Alstom SA is a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer operating worldwide in rail transport markets, active in the fields of passenger transportation, signalling, and locomotives, with products including the AGV, TGV, Eurostar, Avelia ...

and operated on Line 11 from 1956 to 1999, when they were replaced by refurbished

MP 59 The MP 59 (French : Métro sur Pneus d'appel d'offres de 1959) is a rubber tyred variant of electric multiple units used on the Paris Métro system, and is the oldest type still in regular passenger service. Manufactured by a consortium betwee ...

stock from Line 4.

Conception

After the successful testing of the

MP 51 The MP 51 ( fr) was the first rubber-tyred metro prototype operated by the Régie autonome des transports parisiens (English: ''Autonomous Parisian Transportation Administration'', ''RATP''), on the Paris Metro system starting in 1951 fitted wi ...

test car on the ''la voie navette'' segment (connecting track) between Line 3bis and Line 7bis, the RATP decided to order 71 new train cars to equip Line 11, since the line contained a steep grade. The first train (M.3001-N.4001-AB.5501-M.3002) was delivered beginning on October 1, 1956 and went into service on November 8, 1956, with all 17 trains were in service by October 1957.

Description

The MP 55 was composed of 4 car trainsets, with three of the cars motorized. Originally, the trains were painted in a light blue livery and contained soft fluorescent lighting. Like many trains during the 1950s, the MP 55 trains contained both first class and second class cars. The maximum acceleration for the MP 55 was restrained at for passenger comfort. The traction equipment used was either electro-pneumatic (EMC) or camshaft electric (Jeumon-Heidmann, or JH) and the braking system used was also of electro-pneumatic type, though a gradual variant was used. In 1967, automatic drive (ATO) was implemented on all trainsets. Metro de Paris - Maquette du MP 55 - 04

Refurbishment and retirement

In 1977, the trains underwent their mid-life refurbishment and received a darker blue livery similar to that of the

MP 73 The MP 73 (Metro Pneu appel d'offres 1973) is rolling stock on tires for the Paris metro. It essentially equips line 6, a train being also operated on line 11 until 2022. Put into service in 1974, it is technically very close to the MP 59 wit ...

. During the late 1980s, the RATP decided that it was time to retire the MP 55. Because of this, the trains were not repainted in the RATP's current mint green and white livery, however many trains were fitted with the RATP's current logo. The retirement process began in 1995, with the arrival of the newer MP 89CC trains on Line 1, and refurbished MP 59 trainsets from Line 4 gradually replaced all of the MP 55 trainsets. The final train was retired on January 30, 1999, completing the retirement process. Unlike the

Sprague-Thomson Sprague-Thomson is the name of the first rolling stock on the Paris Métro made completely of metal. It replaced the mostly wooden M1. History Research before 1908 In light of the Paris Métro train fire of 1903, the Compagnie du chemin ...

, no MP 55 trainset was safeguarded in its entirety; nearly all of them were scrapped after their retirement. Only four cars were preserved, however: two by the RATP (AB.5517 and M.3011), one by Renault (M.3001), and the fourth by a private museum (M.3030).

References

*''The information in this article is based on that in its French equivalent''. {{Paris Metro/RS MP 1955