Thales wins 1st ETCS contract from Southern Railway

Thales, a leading transportation firm globally, has been awarded a signalling contract by the Southern Railway to supply Train Protection and Warning System on the Basin Bridge-Arakkonam section.
This is the first ETCS (European Train Control System) contract awarded to Thales in India, and also the first step of a large modernisation programme of TPWS systems of the Indian Railways network, said the company which operates in the aerospace, transportation and defence & security markets.
ETCS is a modern train protection system that ensures the safe transportation of passengers and goods, it said in a release.
On the Basin Bridge-Arakkonam 66 km-long stretch, the ETCS L1 system will enable trains to run faster, leading to shorter travel times and increased line capacity, while optimising train security and passenger safety through its Automatic Train Protection capability, Thales said.

The company said it will deploy ETCS Level 1 solution and be responsible for the design, supply, installation and commissioning of track-side equipment.
It will also guarantee the interoperability of ETCS L1 track side equipment with existing on-board, non-Thales systems.
Thales is one of the principal suppliers of train signalling technology and the worldwide leader for the supply of ETCS solutions, having over 30 per cent of the global market share, the release noted.
In India, Thales provides a wide range of urban transport solutions ranging from signalling to ticketing and passenger information systems. In mainline rail, Thales provides electronic axel counters throughout the Indian Railways network. With 65,000 employees, Tales has presence across 56 countries, the release said.