1.
LV TRAIN PULLS INTO STATION.
0.09

2.
CU STATION NAME 'MAILLOT'.
0.12

3.
ANGLE V... RUBBER TYRED WHEELS ON TRAIN SEEN FROM TRACK.
0.19

4.
CU WHEELS.
0.25

5.
LV OFFICIALS BOARD TRAIN.
0.29

6.
CU PAN...METRO ROUTE INDICATOR IN TRAIN.
0.32

7.
SCU MR. JAQUET, MINISTER OF TRANSPORT, ON TRAIN.
0.38

8.
LV TRAIN PULLS OUT.
0.42

9.
ANGLE VIEW...WHEELS FROM BELOW.
0.46

10.
GV PEOPLE IN CARRIAGE.
0.53

11.
LV OFFICIALS LEAVE TRAIN.
0.58



Initials AA/V/WS/LW



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: THE PARIS METRO HAS PUT 50 NEW TRAINS INTO SERVICE FITTED WITH PNEUMATIC TYRES.THE TRAINS WILL BE OPERATING ON THE VINCENNES - NEUILLY LINE.

THE FIRST OF THE TRAINS FITTED WITH TYRES, WAS PUT INTO SERVICE ON THE PORTE DES LILAS - PRES STA GERVAIS LINE TWELVE YEARS AGO.THIS EXPERIMENTAL TRAIN PROVED ENTIRELY SATISFACTORY AND SO THE "REGIE AUTONOME DES TRANSPORTE PARISIENS" WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE METRO, DECIDED TO USE SIMILAR TRAINS ON MORE OF THE PARIS UNDERGROUND.

IT TOOK THE METRO AUTHORITIES LESS THAN A YEAR TO PREPARE FOR THE CONVERSION TO THE NEW TYRE-SHOD TRAINS.THE MAIN JOB WAS LENGTHENING THE PLATFORMS FROM 72 METRES (79 YARDS) TO 90 METRES (98 YARDS).

TODAY (THURSDAY) THE NEW SERVICE WAS OFFICIALLY INAUGURATED BY THE FRENCH TRANSPORT MINISTER, M.MARC JACQUET, WHO TRAVELLED ON THE LINE WHICH IS ESTIMATED TO CARRY 132 MILLION PASSENGERS A YEAR.

FOUR MAIN ADVANTAGES ARE CLAIMED FOR THE RUBBER-TYRED TRAINS: MORE COACHES CAN BE USED, AND THEREFORE MORE PASSENGERS CARRIED IN EACH TRAIN; THE TRAINS CAN TRAVEL FASTER, AND SO THE NUMBER OF TRAINS CAN BE INCREASED; THE NEW TRAINS ARE MORE POWERFUL THAN THE OLD ONES, BUT ARE CHEAPER TO BUILD; AND THE TYRES ARE PRACTICALLY INDESTRUCTIBLE.