ENGIE and Thales will link Dakar to its new airport with a new express train
Works on the Regional Express Train which will link the capital of Senegal to its new international airport were officially opened today in Dakar in the presence of the President of the Republic of Senegal Macky Sall, the Chief Executive Officer of ENGIE Ineo Yann Rolland, the Chief Executive Officer of ENGIE Western & Central Africa Philippe Miquel and the Director of the Dakar Regional Express Train project at Thales Christian Guay.
ENGIE (agent) in partnership with Thales will manage the section of the project involving the design and implementation of infrastructures and systems for the Regional Express Train.
The Regional Express Train will link Dakar to the new Blaise Diagne international airport in less than 50 minutes. The works on the first section linking Dakar to Diamniadio (36 km) are expected to last 26 months. The second 19 km section linking Diamniadio to the international airport will take 15 months to complete. Design studies and works have just started for commissioning of the first section of the route planned for the end of 2018.
This project is part of the “Emerging Senegal Plan” for the economic and social development of the country, launched by the president of the Republic and the Senegalese government in 2014.
Smart cutting-edge systems
The teams at ENGIE Ineo (a subsidiary of the ENGIE group) and at Thales will work jointly on designing and implementing the technical systems in the project. The design includes all studies and project guidance, as well as carrying out the integration trials.
Technical system integration includes the railway signalling systems for train control and safety management of the switching system, the train and power rail power supply stations, the online telecommunications systems in the 14 stations and the maintenance centres: passenger safety with CCTV monitoring, passenger Wi-Fi connection on board the train and in the stations, the GSM-R system (rail telecommunications network), fire detection, real-time passenger information on the platforms and on board the trains and a comprehensive ticket system.
This contract showcases the expertise of the two Groups, which are creating and developing effective and innovative solutions for the connected cities and areas. It highlights ENGIE's intention to develop its different activities in Africa generally and in Senegal. In particular the Group operates in this country with the Solairedirect Senergy project: a 30 MW photovoltaic power plant located in the town of Santiou Mekhé, scheduled for commissioning in March 2017.
In the transportation sector, Thales, is a world leader in rail signalling, both for mainline rail (72,000 km controlled by Thales) and urban transportation (present in 40 cities), with development projects across 50 countries. Thales has deployed its ETCS railway signalling system in Europe and around the world, where it controls 16,000 km of ETCS line, or 30% of the global network equipped with ETCS.
A strong presence in Africa
ENGIE is rolling out several types of activities on the African continent: developing power generation with a capacity portfolio of about 3,000 MW in operation or under construction. ENGIE also provides distributed electricity generation for companies in isolated locations and for rural villages. Another line of business involves supporting clients in their service provision and energy efficiency requirements. In addition to these activities, the company is also involved in gas exploration and production in Algeria and prospects in Egypt in an advanced state of progress.
Through its “ENGIE Rassembleurs d’Énergies” international investment fund, the Group invests in projects to provide vulnerable populations with access to sustainable energy. By 2025, ENGIE intends to be one of the main energy leaders in Africa, developing major projects on the continent.
With more than 30 years of presence in Africa, Thales is a major partner, supplying rail signalling systems for mainline and urban line, ticketing solutions for urban rail and mobile communications to several countries in Africa (Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa). Thales is also a trusted partner for African countries in Aerospace, Space, Defence and Security.
Thales provides In-flight management systems to seven airlines in Africa and is the primary supplier of Air Traffic Management (ATM) to African customers. Thales’ systems are currently managing around 80 % of Africa’s air traffic movements, which represents 30 countries. Thales is the primary supplier of ATM to the African civil aviation agency ASECNA.
Security is one of the main priorities for most of the countries in Africa. Thales is capitalising on the growth in security markets: critical infrastructures, cities and borders, but also cyber security.
About ENGIE
Responsible growth is central to ENGIE's areas of business (electricity, natural gas, energy services) to meet the major challenges posed by the energy transition towards a lower-carbon economy: access to sustainable energy, mitigating and adapting to climate change and the reasonable use of resources. The Group develops effective, innovative solutions for residential customers, cities and businesses by capitalizing on its expertise in four key sectors: renewable energy, energy efficiency, liquefied natural gas and digital technology. ENGIE has 154,950 employees worldwide and registered a turnover of €69.9 billion in 2015. Listed in Paris and Brussels (ENGI), the Group is represented in the main international indices: CAC 40, BEL 20, DJ Euro Stoxx 50, Euronext 100, FTSE Eurotop 100, MSCI Europe, DJSI World, DJSI Europe and Euronext Vigeo (World 120, Eurozone 120, Europe 120 and France 20).
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