Indian Railways inaugurates its Basin Bridge-Arakkonam section equipped with Train Protection & Warning System by Thales

Thales today announced the deployment of European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 1 solution, known in India as Train Protection and Warning System (TPWS), on the 68 km Basin Bridge-Arakkonam section in Southern India. The TPWS-equipped section was inaugurated by Shri Akhil Agrawal, Director General (Signal & Telecommunication), Railway Board, at Ambattur station, Chennai, in the presence of Shri A.V.Siva Prasad, Chief Signal & Telecommunication Engineer, Southern Railway, and other dignitaries from Indian Railways, Institution of Railway Signalling & Telecommunication Engineers (IRTSE) and Thales.
 

Key Points

• This was the first ETCS contract awarded to Thales in India
• This system ensures faster and safer trains and optimal safety for passengers
• The inauguration of the TPWS-equipped Basin Bridge-Arakkonam section in Southern India was attended by key dignitaries and officials from Indian Railways, IRSTE and Thales.

Southern Railway had awarded this signaling contract to Thales in September 2014.
As part of the contract, Thales supplied ETCS Level 1 solution and was also responsible for the design, supply, installation and commissioning of track-side equipment.
 

«As passenger safety and train security are of utmost importance, we are proud to have brought the advanced and capable train protection system to India’s railway networks through this project. We look forward to further supporting the Indian Railways in its ongoing modernisation plan and contribute to the development of railway infrastructure in the country».
Mr. Raviprakash Karcherla, Director in charge of Ground Transportation for Thales in India

With the completion of this project, Thales brings to India the advanced signalling system that has been deployed in Europe. It also demonstrates the interoperability of ETCS L1 track side equipment with existing ETCS L1 on-board systems. This project is intended at optimising train security and passenger safety while enabling trains to run faster, leading to shorter travel times and increased line capacity through the Automatic Train Protection (ATP) capability.

Thales is one of the principal suppliers of train signalling technology and the worldwide leader for the supply of ETCS solutions with 16,000 km of ETCS line or 30% of the global market share. Today, ETCS is the European standard and Thales has deployed it extensively in Europe as well as in countries such as South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico and Saudi-Arabia.