EQUANS and Portalp: a French consortium to modernize a subway line
in the Austrian capital

Vienna’s subway network consists of five lines and is operated by Wiener Linien. This public transport authority has entrusted EQUANS and Portalp with the further modernization of its subway network. By 2023, the U5 line, the sixth metro line and the first automatic line in the capital, will be in operation. The French consortium is in charge of supplying, installing and maintaining the platform facades of this new line. The new line will enhance the safety of Viennese citizens and tourists by improving the flow of traffic on a network that handles more than 800 million passengers per year.

A tailor-made solution for a modernizing metro
In 2017, the Austrian capital began a program to modernize its network of approximately 80 km. To achieve this modernization, the 5 stations of the U5 line will be equipped with automatic platform façade doors (platform doors that cover the entire length of the platform) that meet the needs of passenger comfort, safety and thermal insulation of the facilities.

A 100% French consortium to modernize the U5 line
As early as 2014, Portalp, the French leader in automated opening systems, and Equans joined forces to bring their best expertise to bear. Portalp brings its know-how for the design, manufacture and automation of platform doors.

From design to maintenance, including safety control, power supply and the manufacture of the platform doors, the group will carry out the entire deployment of the installations on the U5 line, adjusting their solution to the technical specificities of the Austrian capital.

First stations operational in Q3 2023:
The first working prototype door for the U5 line was installed and put into service in Vienna in October 2020. Siemens is now using it to test its new rolling stock in real-life conditions.

The design phase is now complete and the manufacturing of the first four stations has been launched in Grenoble at the Portalp production center. These will then be shipped in kit form to Vienna where they will be assembled near the installation site in the first half of 2022.