Our urban transport solutions are securely designed to meet the infrastructure needs of tomorrow. Working with our UK partners, we draw on our global transport expertise to address the challenges they face of providing increased capacity, whilst ensuring safety, to the UK public.
The world’s largest signalling upgrade
Four Lines Modernisation (4LM) is a project to upgrade the signalling systems of four of London Underground’s most important railway lines: Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan. Between them they account for 40% of the Underground’s traffic.
The SelTrac™ CBTC system will be installed in sections across the four lines between now and 2021 with the main benefits being delivered by 2022.
- Up to 32 trains per hour, will operate on the core sections of these lines
- Peak passenger capacity increased by an average of 33 %
- 11,00 jobs created or sustained by the programme
- 60 apprenticeships created or sustained by the programme
Thales’s comprehensive solution includes management, design, development, manufacturing, supply, delivery, construction, installation, integration, testing, commissioning and migration.
Our signalling solutions have already helped to deliver dramatic capacity increases on the London Underground since 2012. There has been a 33% increase in capacity on the Jubilee line, which is equal to 12,500 more passengers per hour and a 22% reduction in journey times. The Northern Line benefitted from a 20% increase, equal to 11,500 more passengers per hour and an 18% reduction in journey times.
Supporting journeys since 1994
Our SelTrac signalling system uses communications-based train control (CBTC) to operate trains and has been in service on the DLR since 1994. In 2007, we also upgraded the system’s technology to enable a three, rather than two, car service on the DLR. These upgrades resulted in a 50 per cent capacity increase to the railway line.
In addition to installing its SelTrac signalling system, Thales has also made significant upgrades to the vehicle control centre (VCC) at Beckton. Installing third generation VCC technology in Beckton in 2011, Thales’s work on the DLR helped greatly towards the success of the London Olympics and was also the first operational 3GVCC installed in the world.
In 2019, Thales has signed two new contracts to support the Docklands Light Railway, as a result of a forecasted increased passenger demand on the network. The updates will improve the DLR’s exceptional operational performance, while maintaining the on time train reliability rate of 99% that it has historically delivered. Both contracts will run until September 2024.
Our Connect system provides the communications technology for Transport for London’s staff to communicate on the London Underground. The solution is critical for passenger safety and allows for communication between station staff and drivers.
Connect uses a secure, closed network and we have been responsible for the design, build, operation and maintenance of the system. Connect has been in live service on the London Underground for over 10 years, ensuring that Londoners stay safe and on the move.
With four new lines tripling the size of the original network, the Manchester Metrolink is the largest overground light rail system operating in the UK and one of the largest urban tramways in Europe. It currently covers 76.8 kilometres and serves 73 stops, offering Greater Manchester a sustainable transport alternative for growing numbers of commuters.