Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The M2, the underground metro system in Lausanne and the only fully driverless in the country, is celebrating its second anniversary with a positive balance sheet.
The success of Lausanne’s M2 Metro is clear, 24 million tickets were sold in the last 12 months which represents an increase of 3 million tickets, compared to its first year in operation. The director of the M2, Michel Joye says the number of users is expected to double in the next fifteen years therefore plans will have to be made to increase the number of existing trains.
For now the only changes will be inside the train themselves. “We are working on expanding the room inside the wagons to give people more space to stand,” said Joye.
The M2 which connects Ouchy and Epalinges, through the Lausanne train station, has become such a popular means of transportation that new lines will be considered in the coming years.
The M2’s 14 stations feature 30-metre platforms with access to the six train-side doors through automatically activated platform edge screen doors. Of the total route length, about 90% of the track is below ground.
Retaining some of the original 12% gradients of the old funicular, Lausanne’s M2 remains the world’s steepest metro.