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A digital journey: modernising London’s tube

This year 1.4 billion people are expected to travel on London Underground. Daily public transport journeys are predicted to hit 15 million by 2041, so the need for extra capacity has never been more urgent. Along with safety and security – physical and digital – passenger capacity are the most pressing challenges facing the underground, but how do you transform the world’s oldest metro into one of the most modern?

At Thales we have nearly 20 years’ experience on the capital’s transport network, working in close partnership with Transport for London. We have harnessed technology to address many underlying long-term problems that impact on the public transport experience, in particular using digital signalling technology to unlock the capacity ‘pain points’ that develop on certain routes at different times.

A 20-year transformation

Thales became the first company in the world to introduce automatic moving-block signalling in 1985, in Vancouver, Canada. Prior to this the old traditional fixed-block principle had been in place since it was introduced to the urban railway in 1889.

Thales signalling technology was first introduced to London in 1994 when its SelTrac system was installed on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR). The technology – using communications-based train control (CBTC) to operate trains – safely enables the trains to get closer together, which increases train throughput and therefore capacity. CBTC also allows the DLR to operate safely without the need for a driver. 

 

Thales introduced the first radio-based version of CBTC in 2003 on the Bundang Commuter Metro in South Korea, and this tried-and-tested technology was brought to London in 2011 when the integrated communications control centre entered service on the Jubilee Line. This line was upgraded ahead of the London 2012 Olympics, cutting journey times by around 22% and increasing capacity by 33%, with a new higher frequency of 30 trains per hour.

The next phase of London Underground’s modernisation was completed in 2015 when the newly resignalled Northern Line entered service. The technology was similar to the Jubilee Line – a loop-based version - with the addition of complex-junction handling capability, and capacity has been increased by 20%. Passenger journey times have been reduced by 18%, with a new higher frequency of up to 31 trains per hour on the busiest sections of the line.

The first large-scale radio-based CBTC signalling was introduced by Thales on the Paris Metro in 2006, and this new technology is currently being installed in London as part of the Four Lines Modernisation programme (4LM). Covering the Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan Lines, this upgrade will boost capacity by a third on 40% of the London Underground network, transforming one of the oldest parts of the tube into one of the most modern. 

The new system will be introduced progressively over 14 sections across the network, each one improving reliability as it’s introduced. Customers will benefit from quicker, more frequent services from 2021, with all four lines using the new system by 2023. With 32 trains per hour in the central London section, this is the equivalent to space for an extra 36,500 customers during the busiest times of day.
 

A new, state-of-the-art control centre for all four lines at Hammersmith is already up and running. This will bring all the aspects of managing the lines under one roof, helping ensure a smooth, integrated service and more accurate and up-to-date information for customers. 

Central to the success of this modernisation journey is the uniquely integrated approach adopted by the team. London Underground and Thales define their working relationship as ‘One Team’, with project managers and engineers from both companies working side by side as a single team on everything from defining the user requirements and the design scope, to the detailed management of installation and testing works.

The size and complexity of these resignalling programmes requires all the stakeholders to work together. It’s essential to give everyone a voice, while making sure that they are collaborating as part of a unified team with clear shared goals. That philosophy is firmly embedded in the Thales/London Underground ‘One Team’ approach.

What’s the future look like?

The next stage of this digital modernisation journey is about developing more integrated solutions, bringing signaling and communications systems together with trains, depots and maintenance, and information about passenger flows. Thales is already adopting this integrated approach in Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai, and the potential exists to welcome these further enhancements in London. 

Digital technology has a central role to play in and future developments, both to meet capacity requirements but also in providing the ‘good public transport experience’: tangible benefits for passengers making their daily commute. Indeed the widespread use of individualised technology has forced the transportation sector to focus more on the customer. 

Everything will eventually be connected with digital technology, turning big data into smart information that can help to reduce infrastructure pressures, drive better performance and reliability, providing better and greener journeys. 

The population of London is expected to grow to 10 million by the year 2030. We’re making sure that the rail system can cope with that. Come what may, the London Underground will be ready and fit for purpose.