VAL 208
The VAL 208 is one of the VAL series, an automated guideway transit system developed by Matra and Siemens. The vehicles are manufactured at Siemens SGP (Simmering-Graz-Pauker) in Vienna, Austria. It has been adopted by multiple railway operators since 2000. The number 208 in the name comes from the fact that the width of the vehicle is . In the successor to VAL 206, the system is compatible with VAL 206. Normally, automatic operation is performed, but it is possible for the driver to manually operate as necessary. Overview. Because of automatic operation, the delay is small , the train density can be increased. On the other hand, since this train is basically a two-car train, it is suitable for low-population areas and medium-sized cities. Interior. Although the vehicle is small, the window is large, so it is a car with open feeling. According to the climate of Europe, although air conditioning is not installed in the basic specification, air conditioning is installed only in the Uijeongbu Light Rail Transit train at South Korea. Plastics are widely used for many parts, but doors and handrail are made of stainless steel. The color tone inside the  car varies depending on the railway operator. Traction equipments. The traction control system does not adopt the VVVF control, and it has become a conventional chopper control. It is not clear why as they are less efficient than newer AC motors. The traction motor adopted Alstom's brushless DC motor. The traction motor was self-ventilated, mounted on bogie. It is mounted inside each wheel, and the power from the traction motor is transmitted via the planetary gear and the Cardan joint mechanism. VAL208NG. A minor change has been done several times in VAL 208, and a major change in  specification was made in VAL 208 NG which is a minor change car in 2006. Specific changes are as follows.