Ada in the Paris Metro System

Ada in the Paris Metro System

[Michael Feldman]

Ada in the Paris Metro System

The Ada language has been chosen to develop the automatic piloting system 
on the new Paris underground line METEOR. Reliability, security and 
long-term software lifecycle were determining criteria for the choice of 
the language.

Developed on behalf of the Paris Transportation Authority (RATP) by 
GEC-Alsthom for the trains and Matra Transport for the automatic systems, 
the 20-km long METEOR line will link the South-West and North-East Parisian 
suburbs and will be equipped with 18 railway stations. The trains will 
feature the Matra Transport automatic piloting system. This system 
automatically controls the train traffic, regulates train speed, manages 
various alarm devices, and allows traffic of both automatic and non-automatic
trains on the same line.

The on-ground and embedded system's software is developed on VAX/VMS platform
with Alsys AdaWorld's cross environment targeting Motorola 68020 processors, 
and Alsys SMART (SMall Ada Run Time).

The METEOR project amounts to 6 billion French francs, not including the 
trains and is scheduled to ensure up to 96 million passenger trips annually 
beginning in 1997.

(reprinted from Alsys World Dialogue, Spring 1994)