It includes a modular viaduct which has a width of 6.8m and a height of up to 14m, Alstom's Appitrack slab track system which was originally developed for rapid installation on light rail lines, Alstom's new Urbalis Fluence simplified CBTC for driverless operation, and a power supply system designed to reuse 99% of braking energy. A 750V dc third-rail electrification system is envisaged.
Axonis is able to cope with 45m-radius curves and 6% gradients. Trains will have between two and five cars with all bogies motorised. Headways down to 80 seconds are planned to achieve a capacity of between 10,000 and 45,000 passengers per hour per direction.
Alstom estimates that an Axonis light metro project could be implemented in three to four years. Axonis is designed to to reduce maintenance costs and energy consumption by 20% compared with traditional metros or monorails.
Axonis is an open system using non-proprietary technology and standard interfaces so that transport authorities will be able to go out to tender for extensions.
