Metro's - France: books - history and rolling stock

Le VAL - Histoire du métro de Lille

On April 25, 1983, President of the Republic François Mitterrand inaugurated the first line of the Lille metro during his visit to the North. The connection between the Villeneuve d'Ascq university campus and Lille city center was established thanks to the VAL, an innovative automatic means of transport developed by the teams of the new city and the university.
This event was of significant importance, marking the realization of studies and debates. This initial milestone shaped the new face of the Lille metropolis through construction sites and controversies.

The metro, essential to the daily travel of more than 400, 000 people, has remained at the heart of metropolitan political life for more than half a century, always giving rise to lively debates.

This book describes the history and technology of the VAL and the Villeneuve d'Ascq, Lambersart, Mons-en-Barœul, Wasquehal, Croix, Roubaix and Tourcoing stations.

Product details

Métropolitain

Paris wasn't built in a day... Neither was its metro! Born in 1900, it gradually wove its web across Paris and its suburbs. A tool designed to connect Parisians, it was able to bring together the most distant neighborhoods, and the most sociologically different ones too.
It has been able to span the ages and, above all, adapt to the needs of users...

Opened to the public on July 19 1900, the very first Porte Maillot-Porte de Vincennes line was quickly acclaimed by Parisians and visitors to the Universal Exhibition and reinforced the city council's plan to provide Paris with a metro like that of London or New York. This success, both technical and commercial, made it possible to launch the construction of a magnificent network which today has fourteen lines.

Treat yourself to a journey through time and relive its technical and human evolution in images thanks to the collection of period photos and postcards by Jean-Pierre Rigouard and the story of Didier Janssoone, two rail transport enthusiasts.

Summary:

1. The construction of the first line
2. The first lines
3. The complementary lines
4. The equipment and the workshops
5. The metro in celebration or in the test
6. The technical progress and the evolution of the metro.

Product details