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Thales commissions a new railway signalling generation at Beira Baixa in Portugal

  • Thales successfully completed the commissioning of the new electronic signalling system, installed at Beira Baixa Line, between Covilhã and Guarda stations, thus concluding a long-awaited project with strategic interest for the national railway infrastructure.
  • This project, with an approximate length of 45km, connecting two stations already equipped with different Thales signalling technologies, had as its main intervention targets, the Belmonte station and the Caria, Maçainhas, Benespera and Sabugal stops.
  • With this milestone, Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP) achieved the completion of what will be the only alternative of Beira Alta Line, allowing in this regard to create an important redundancy in the North International Corridor, which today is undoubtedly the main railway channel with neighbor country.
  • For Thales, it was a huge challenge, not because of its extend, but because it was the opportunity to implement a new generation of electronic interlocking (PIPC G3) with object controllers (DCA) and the introduction of a new train detection technology, by the use of Thales Track Circuits (TTC).

Thales and the Portuguese Railway

Thales has been an important presence since the beginning of the Signalling Modernization program, started by Infraestruturas de Portugal (at that time named CP and then REFER) early the 90's.

It marked the introduction of the new interlocking technologies with the supply of new electronic signalling systems, also, created the concept of Integrated Railway Communications Systems, offering a strong enhancement in all Passenger-centred services, developing Passenger Information Solutions, which become an important part of Thales' portfolio.

In 2007, Thales designed and implemented the new Lisbon Operational Control Center, covering 70% of Portuguese rail traffic. With almost 30 years of cooperation in signalling and telecommunications renewals on the Portuguese network, Thales is a key presence in the Railway market and the main supplier of maintenance in these fields.

Contact
Chrystelle Dugimont - Media Relations, Ground Transportation
+33625157293 / +33492927406 chrystelle.dugimont@thalesgroup.com
Sofia Lança - Thales in Portugal
+351 937 673 999 sofia.lanca@thalesgroup.com