Vancouver
Vancouver vision
Expansion of Vancouver’s pioneering driverless rail network continues.
Vancouver was one of the first cities in the world to adopt driverless trains. The signalling system that made it possible – SelTracTM CBTC – was designed by Thales and implemented in 1985 on the Expo Line. Today, more than 30 years later, Thales continues to support the customer with maintenance, upgrades and extensions to the Metro Vancouver’s growing rapid transit network.
Thales’ role as a dependable partner is underlined by its work on the city’s Canada Line. Opened one hundred days ahead of schedule in 2009, this 19km route provides a vital north-south link across the Metro Vancouver district and incorporates a branch serving Vancouver International Airport. Waterfront station is the interchange station that allows transfer to the Expo Line. Thales implemented driverless SelTracTM CBTC to meet the customer’s requirement for unattended driverless operation and maximum flexibility.
More recently, Thales has implemented SelTracTM CBTC on the SkyTrain Millennium Line Evergreen Extension. Thales’ solution for the 11km extension met the customer’s need for seamless connection with existing SelTracTM CBTC signalling on the Millennium Line, which had been provided by Thales in 2002. Thales adopted a phased implementation strategy to minimise the impact on passengers and service.
The Evergreen Extension is a significant expansion of Vancouver’s integrated transportation network and opened in December 2016. To meet the customer’s need for future-proof capacity, the system is capable of running one train every 93 seconds in both directions. The Evergreen Extension is the seventh delivered by Thales on the SkyTrain network.
Inaugurated in 1985, the Expo Line was the first driverless CBTC route in the world
Vancouver now has the world's longest fully-automated driverless system
Pioneered in Vancouver, Thales’ SelTrac CBTC has now been deployed in more than 85 lines worldwide