Thales upgrades rail signalling system at Vitoria-Gasteiz logistics platform in Júndiz, Spain

Thales was awarded the contract in June 2022 by Adif, the Spanish rail infrastructure authority. Execution of the works for the signalling and telecommunications installations is now underway at the intermodal and logistics platform of Vitoria-Jundiz, which will improve management, operability and reliability. This is an ambitious project. It is also complex because trains will continue to operate during the works.

This project, financed by the European Union with NextGenerationEU funds, counts with a budget of €5 million (VAT included). The upgrade will transform the facilities into a key logistics centre serving the Atlantic corridor for European freight transport. Specifically, it will achieve greater operability and flexibility for management of the station and will increase the capacity of the line and facilitate management of trains. This will result in a significant improvement in reliability of the facilities and planned timetables.

The current electrical interlocking system will be replaced with a state-of-the-art Thales solution. In addition, the signalling at the collateral stations will be adapted and safety equipment will be upgraded. The project will increase the capacity of the track yard to allow 750-metre trains to operate. Some of the track will be fitted with a third rail, which at a later stage will allow it to be connected wih the standard gauge track of the Atlantic Corridor.

New LED signals will be installed for equipment and field wiring, with their respective ASFA (Automatic Braking and Announcement of Signals) digital beacons,* as well as train detection equipment based on the axle counter system Az LM. The current systems installed on the track will be dismantled. The new interlocking system will be integrated with the Centralised Traffic Control (CTC) at the Miranda de Ebro centre.
The installation of axle counters with Thales technology will ensure the safety of rail operations by detecting the occupation, presence and departure of trains in a given area and on a given track gauge.

This is a highly complex project, especially because operations at the logistics centre must be maintained, with no disruption to the traffic flow of freight and passenger trains during project execution.

This work is part of Spain’s efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, for the development of reliable, sustainable, resilient and quality infrastructures. Thales technology is making a vital contribution to these efforts.