Graduate support in laying the lines for the future of London transport

London is a growing city, not only in terms of its population – which is forecasted to grow over the next decade by the equivalent of two full tube trains every week- but also in terms of its reputation on the world stage and its importance to UK economic recovery. However, its tube network is the oldest underground railway network in the world, and is carrying more people now than ever before.

The future of London is dependent on its transport system, yet many of the Sub Surface Railway (SSR) network assets are over 40 years old. Working on this project are a number of Thales graduates. Since joining the Thales Graduate Development Programme in September 2014, James Caveney’s role within Thales has been to aid with the integration of Thales on-board train control systems on both mainline and urban rail vehicles. This started with the European Train Control System (ETCS) bid programme, but as work began to ramp up on the Sub Surface Railway (SSR) project working with Transport for London (TfL), James joined the systems team in our Westferry office in London, in order to aid with the integration of Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) equipment on-board Engineer’s Vehicles (EVs).

“There are 8 different types of EV in the scope of the SSR contract, each with its own challenges regarding the integration design. The solution differs significantly from one to the next, with space at a premium inside many of these vehicles. The work I have been doing has mainly involved the surveying of vehicles to produce survey reports and concept designs to share with both Thales Canada and London Underground (LU). There has been plenty of opportunity for me to get out on site which I’d recommend anyone tries to do if possible. I’ve visited a variety of depots around London and I’ve also attended testing during engineering hours, seeing the Underground in a completely different light. The opportunity to interact with key stakeholders has been great experience for me and I can’t wait to see CBTC completely integrated on the SSR network over the next 8 years. I look forward to being a part of this huge opportunity for Thales.”

Transport for London recently announced that Thales had been awarded the SSR contract, which will see an improvement in reliability, safety and number of trains per hour across 40% of the London Underground tube network. There are a number of graduate opportunities working with the collaborative team that are keeping Londoners moving on a daily basis, so keep an eye out for opportunities and information on this flagship transportation project in the coming months and years.