The Taipei Metro VAL 256 is the first generation of

automated guideway transit An automated guideway transit (AGT) or automated fixed-guideway transit or automatic guideway transit system is a type of fixed guideway transit infrastructure with a riding or suspension track that supports and physically guides one or more dr ...

rolling stock The term rolling stock in the rail transport industry refers to railway vehicles, including both powered and unpowered vehicles: for example, locomotives, freight and passenger cars (or coaches), and non-revenue cars. Passenger vehicles can b ...

to be used on the Wenhu (Brown) line of Taipei Metro. A total of 51 2-car train sets were built by

GEC Alsthom GEC or Gec may refer to: Education * Gedo Education Committee, in Somalia * Glen Eira College, in Caulfield East, Victoria, Australia * Goa Engineering College, India * Government Engineering College (disambiguation) * Guild for Exceptiona ...

from 1989 to 1993, for a total of 102 cars. They entered service in 1996 as the first trains on the newly opened Metro system. They are part of the

VAL Val may refer to: Val-a Film * ''Val'' (film), an American documentary about Val Kilmer, directed by Leo Scott and Ting Poo Military equipment * Aichi D3A, a Japanese World War II dive bomber codenamed "Val" by the Allies * AS Val, a Sov ...

family of automated, driverless

rubber-tired metro A rubber-tyred metro or rubber-tired metro is a form of rapid transit system that uses a mix of road and rail technology. The vehicles have wheels with rubber tires that run on rolling pads inside guide bars for traction, as well as traditional ...

s developed by the French company

Matra Matra (an acronym for Mécanique Aviation Traction) was a French industrial conglomerate. During its years of operation, it was engaged in a wide range of business activities, primarily focused around automobiles, bicycles, aeronautics and we ...

. Each four-car train is formed by two coupled two-car trainsets. Any two sets can be coupled and their numbers do not need to be consecutive, unlike heavy-capacity trains. Within a year of revenue operations, Matra terminated the service contract, removing all maintenance crew. They filed and won a complaint against the

Taipei City Government The Taipei City Government (TCG) is the municipal government of Taipei. History The Taihoku City Government was founded on 10 October 1920 in Taihoku Prefecture during Japanese colonial rule. The original city hall was located at the site of ...

over contract compensation delay. The VAL 256 trains remained in service for twelve more years, serviced by TRTC engineers and

Academia Sinica Academia Sinica (AS, la, 1=Academia Sinica, 3=Chinese Academy; ), headquartered in Nangang, Taipei, is the national academy of Taiwan. Founded in Nanking, the academy supports research activities in a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from ...

researchers.Taipei Metro – Approaches and strategies in managing an extensive and diverse rail framework
Richard C.L. Chen, TRTS, retrieved 26 April 2008 The VAL 256 cars originally employed a fixed-block ATC/

ATO ATO may refer to: Technology *Abort to Orbit, an intact abort procedure for Space Shuttle launches *Arsenic trioxide a potent chemotherapeutic agent for acute promyelocytic leukemia * ATO fuse * Automatic train operation * Assisted take off Milit ...

system derived from the MAGGALY technology found on

Lyon Metro The Lyon Metro (french: Métro de Lyon) is a rapid transit system serving Lyon Metropolis, France. First opened in 1974, it currently consists of four lines, serving 40 stations and comprising of route. Part of the Transports en Commun Lyonnais ...

Line D. When the Muzha/Wenshan line was extended into Neihu in June 2003,

Bombardier Transportation Bombardier Transportation was a Canadian-German rolling stock and rail transport manufacturer, headquartered in Berlin, Germany. It was one of the world's largest companies in the rail vehicle and equipment manufacturing and servicing industry ...

was contracted to replace the Matra-based system with its own, computerized, moving block CITYFLO 650

CBTC Communications-based train control (CBTC) is a railway signaling system that uses telecommunications between the train and track equipment for traffic management and infrastructure control. CBTC allows a train's position to be known more accurat ...

system, and overhauling the older Matra cars to function under the new system. This took place over a period of 17 months and all 51 sets returned to service in December 2010. Bombardier's contract also involved supplying 101 newly built vehicles to expand the existing fleet. Integration of the Bombardier-built cars with the Matra-built cars led to multiple system malfunctions and failures along the Wenshan and Neihu Lines. The VAL 256 cars were also used by

O'Hare International Airport Chicago O'Hare International Airport , sometimes referred to as, Chicago O'Hare, or simply O'Hare, is the main international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, located on the city's Northwest Side, approximately northwest of the Chicago Loop, ...

Airport Transit System The Airport Transit System (ATS) is an automated people mover system at Chicago O'Hare International Airport. It opened on May 6, 1993. The ATS moves passengers between the airport terminals and parking facilities, and was designed to operate 24 ...

, albeit with the majority of the seats removed since the system's primary purpose is to move passengers between terminals as well as provide access to the economy parking lots, rental car facility, and the

Metra Metra is the commuter rail system in the Chicago metropolitan area serving the city of Chicago and its surrounding suburbs via the Union Pacific Railroad, BNSF Railway, and other railroads. The system operates 242 stations on 11 rail lines. I ...

station Station may refer to: Agriculture * Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production * Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle ** Cattle statio ...

. File:Matra VAL plate in VAL256.jpg, Matra manufacturer's plate File:GEC Alsthom Transport interior plate 1991 in VAL256.jpg, GEC Alsthom manufacturer's plate File:O'Hareatstower.JPG, VAL 256s on

References

External links

(includes the O'Hare ATS VAL 256) {{Taipei Metro rolling stock navbox Electric multiple units of Taiwan Taipei Metro VAL people movers Electric multiple units of the United States 750 V DC multiple units

See also

References

External links