Skip to main content

San Francisco opts for Thales train control

Thales has been awarded a US$24.7 million contract by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) for the design and construction of advanced train control technology for the new Central Subway project, a 1.7 mile extension of the existing T Line. The company will supply its field-proven SelTrac communications based train control (CBTC) technology for the project, a solution designed to improve transit options for residents in one of the city’s most densely populated neighbourhoods, provide
October 21, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
596 Thales has been awarded a US$24.7 million contract by the 4802 San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) for the design and construction of advanced train control technology for the new Central Subway project, a 1.7 mile extension of the existing T Line.

The company will supply its field-proven SelTrac communications based train control (CBTC) technology for the project, a solution designed to improve transit options for residents in one of the city’s most densely populated neighbourhoods, provide a rapid transit link to a burgeoning technology and digital-media hub, and improve access to a premier commercial district and tourist attraction.

For SFMTA, the solution provides maximum performance in terms of headways, passenger throughput and energy conservation. It monitors the position of each train to a high degree of accuracy, which allows faster response times, more tightly controlled movements, and easier expandability and adaptability. In addition, the solution offers the opportunity to lower life-cycle costs and increase revenue by moving more people more quickly. For passengers, the BTC system will result in safe operations and a more predictable commute.

Thales already supplies automatic train control technology for the Market Street subway in the SFMTA system and says the award of this contract will ensure seamless integration and interoperability within the SFMTA subway environment.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Challenges and benefits of adaptive signal control
    April 23, 2013
    Delcan’s Joe Lam, who managed the first computerised signal system in the world, provides an expert insight into adaptive signal control. There are no gadgets in the world that regulate our daily behaviour as much as traffic signals, except perhaps our mobile phones. It has been estimated that the daily commuter goes through at least 10 signals on his journey to work. However, unlike mobile phones, traffic signals cannot be ignored or switched off by their daily users, at least not without legal consequence
  • Smart phones offer smarter way to pay for travel
    December 16, 2013
    David Crawford reviews developments in near field communications for mass transit payments. ‘A carefully-designed and well-implemented mobile near field communications (NFC) solutions can give passengers a compelling experience that will encourage them to make greater use of public transport.’ That was the confident conclusion of a recent joint White Paper drawn up by the International Association of Public Transport and the global mobile operators’ representative group GSMA.
  • Rapid growth of bus rapid transit schemes on US Pacific coast
    January 27, 2012
    This section pulls together all the multi-modal topics in each issue. Subject matter will include smartcards; ticketing and payment systems; passenger information systems; fleet management for buses, trains and light rail; park and ride systems; on-line access to real-time information via Internet portals
  • Digital Light Processing transforms travel information
    July 19, 2012
    David Crawford investigates the potential of new projection technology. Fifty years on from its invention of the microchip, US company Texas Instruments (TI) has compressed the technology into a surface area of just 4.3mm. As such, it forms the heart of a new Pico Digital Light Processing (DLP) system that is set to transform travel information delivery for millions of users on the move - by making it projectable.