Skip to main content

Siemens to equip new metro line in Sofia

Metropolitan EAD, the metro operator in Sofia, Bulgaria, has commissioned a consortium of Siemens and the Polish train manufacturer Newag to equip the new metro line 3 in the city, which will create an 18 kilometre east-west link that will serve 18 stations. The order, valued at around US$158 million (EUR140 million), comprises the delivery of 20 Inspiro type metro trains and the Trainguard MT automatic train protection system, using wireless CBTC technology (communications-based train control) to provid
March 30, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
Metropolitan EAD, the metro operator in Sofia, Bulgaria, has commissioned a consortium of 189 Siemens and the Polish train manufacturer Newag to equip the new metro line 3 in the city, which will create an 18 kilometre east-west link that will serve 18 stations.

The order, valued at around US$158 million (EUR140 million), comprises the delivery of 20 Inspiro type metro trains and the Trainguard MT automatic train protection system, using wireless CBTC technology (communications-based train control) to provide automatic operation. An option for ten more trains and the related automation system is also part of the contract. The line is planned to be put into operation in 2019.

The consortium will provide the automatic, CBTC-based train control system (onboard and wayside), Trackguard interlocking, automatic Controlguide OCS train supervision system, voice radio and data transmission system, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (Scada) system, wayside digital communication network and half-height platform screen doors for the stations.

"Sofia marks another European capital that has decided in favour of mass transit vehicles and train automation equipment from Siemens. The inner-city transportation services in particular have to cater to ever-increasing demand. For this purpose, we have developed a rolling stock and trackside equipment that combine high transport capacities with low operating costs," said Jochen Eickholt, CEO of Siemens Mobility Division.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Tolling system interoperability gains momentum
    August 14, 2012
    Efforts to advance national interoperability for tolling systems are gaining momentum, with one protocol promoted by a key operator group emerging as a candidate to form the basis for full AVI interoperability, Tim McGuckin writes. Fuelled by a growing awareness and acceptance of standards-based solutions, the US toll community is quickening towards the goal of interoperability between toll systems across the US. Over 20 years since the advent of electronic toll collection (ETC), key elements are falling in
  • Making ITS connections requires leadership
    January 23, 2020
    From making the commute more bearable to saving the planet, Jim Alfred of BlackBerry Certicom believes that ITS has the capacity to drive a range of transformational opportunities – but leadership is required, he warns
  • Keolis Shanghai opens first section of Songjiang tram line
    January 9, 2019
    Keolis Shanghai, a joint venture with Shanghai Shentong Metro, has opened the first section of the Songjiang tram line, offering connections to Shanghai Metro Line 6. The first phase is expected to transport 170,00 passengers per day. The 13.9km route runs across Songjiang, a suburban district, and includes 20 stations from Canghua Rd station in the west to Zhongchen Rd station in the east which serves residential areas and universities. The service is being operated with 15 Citadis trams manufacture
  • Nairobi looks to ITS to ease travel problems
    December 21, 2017
    Shem Oirere looks at plans to tackle chronic congestion in the Kenyan capital. Traffic jams in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, are estimated to cost the country $360 million a year in terms of lost man-hours, fuel and pollution. According to Wilfred Oginga, an engineer with the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA), the congestion has been exacerbated by poor regulation and enforcement of traffic rules, absence of adequate traffic management systems and poor utilisation of existing road facilities.