In Finland, Thales is one of the main signalling suppliers delivering and integrating the complete signalling technology starting from field elements (such as axle counters, signal units and point machines), train routing and train control system up to the Centralized Traffic Control system in the South Eastern region of the country. The Ring Rail Line between Vantaankoski and Tikkurila is an 18km double track line equipped by Thales technology and has since 2015 connected Helsinki Airport to the existing track network.
In 2018, Thales Finland signed a contract with Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency concerning the LuIma Line. Thales will be extending the existing interlocking and replacing three old interlocking’s by ESTW L90 5. During October 2019, first commissioning phase was implemented successfully and released to the commercial use.
Thales is supporting Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency and Fintraffic in European Rail Traffic Management System (ETCS) strategy planning for Finnish railways. ETCS technology provides a competitive edge to railways by increasing the capacity of rail infrastructures and a greater ability to respond to growing transport demands. In February 2021, Thales Finland has signed the Kotka-Kouvola-Hamina contract to renew the outdated signalling technology and also to provide a first ETCS L2 test track in the country. The project represents a further step in the modernisation of the Finnish rail network.
Furthermore, In Finland the VR Group (VR) has been onboarding GreenSpeed since 2016. VR’s main ambition is to reduce its energy consumption on its freight and passenger rail operation market by including the GreenSpeed DAS driver advise, and its other added values, onto their own driver control platform.