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Discover how Thales’ latest product innovations will transform journeys in and around cities.

Creating a safe and seamless experience for passengers is a top priority for transport operators. It’s our top priority too. 

In our Urban Mobility Zone, we’re showcasing two digital solutions that are designed to solve problems and provide our customers with new benefits. One of these is SelTrac™ G8 – the latest version of our CBTC solution for urban rail, metro and light rail networks.

We’re also showcasing our new onboard security and comfort innovation for trains – a unique single-box solution that provides a huge range of passenger information, entertainment, connectivity and security features – including onboard video analytics.

NEW: SelTrac™ G8 CBTC

SelTrac™ CBTC (Communications-Based Train Control) is our world-leading signalling solution for high-capacity urban networks. Launched in 1985 and deployed worldwide, SelTrac™ has been continuously and progressively enhanced to take advantage of the latest technologies. 

We’re proud to announce the launch of SelTrac™ G8 – the eighth and latest generation of our CBTC solution. So what’s new in SelTrac™ G8 and what needs does it address?

New digital architecture

Keeping pace with rapidly evolving technology is a major challenge for transport operators. This is a particular problem on railways: while a train may have a lifespan of 30 years or more, the hardware and software on which it depends can become obsolete much more quickly. This makes it difficult and sometimes impossible to add new train control functionality without starting from scratch.

SelTrac G8 is designed to solve these problems. Thanks to our new platform and new architecture, customers who deploy SelTrac™ G8 can benefit from lifelong innovation insertion, for example, just by upgrading the software. Customers with previous versions of SelTrac™ can also benefit because the G8 platform can be provided as an upgrade to existing SelTrac™ systems. 

Services driving performance

Transport operators rely on services to maintain the efficiency and effectiveness of train control systems. But managing how and when services are delivered can be a real challenge on a large and complex network. 

Cybersecurity is one example. Threats are evolving all the time, so our customers need to be confident that their operations are always fully protected. That means they need rapid access to cybersecurity services, including full security audits.

Obsolescence management is another example. Our customers need easy ways to
manage the lifecycle of their systems. To do that, they need obsolescence management services that provide a clear picture of what spares might be required over a five to ten year horizon. 

With SelTrac™ G8, we provide extensive services that allow our customers to operate and maintain their systems more efficiently.

The future of mass transit

Train autonomy is the next big evolution for railway networks. This technology has huge potential to reduce operating costs, increase capacity and dramatically improve resilience. Transport operators want to be ready to take advantage of new autonomous capabilities as soon as they become available. 

Our SelTrac™ G8 platform is autonomy ready. In fact, one of the autonomous capabilities we are developing is designed to make both greenfield and brownfield CBTC deployments faster and easier than ever, with rapid train conversion and minimal trackside equipment. 

Onboard security and comfort innovation 

Passenger information and video surveillance provide vital reassurance for travellers. But onboard security and comfort technology is evolving rapidly and there is scope to achieve much more – a key consideration as operators race to rebuild passenger trust in the post-Covid world.

Our integrated onboard solution is designed to meet the demand for passenger information, passenger security, connectivity and entertainment on trains. It also supports new capabilities – including onboard video analytics. This uses artificial intelligence and computer vision algorithms to “see” what’s happening on trains as they move around the network. Video analytics provides the foundation for new functions including passenger density measurements and violent event detection, as well as detecting remaining passengers and luggage.

Our onboard solution is easy to install thanks to its unique single-box configuration, ready to accommodate any application, and it can be deployed in any rolling stock.