Skip to main content

Thales and Kapsch to provide systems for Bulgarian railway

In a contract worth US$47 million, Thales and Kapsch are to provide Bulgarian railway infrastructure company NRIC with the electronic signalling and telecommunication technology for the Sofia-Plovdiv railway line, part of the International Rail Corridor IV from Dresden to Istanbul. Kapsch CarrierCom will deliver the GSM-R technology for the project, while Thales will deploy electronic interlocking systems for five stations, including outdoor facilities, ETCS (European Train Control System) Level 1 tracksid
February 8, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
In a contract worth US$47 million, 596 Thales and 81 Kapsch are to provide Bulgarian railway infrastructure company NRIC with the electronic signalling and telecommunication technology for the Sofia-Plovdiv railway line, part of the International Rail Corridor IV from Dresden to Istanbul.  

Kapsch CarrierCom will deliver the GSM-R technology for the project, while Thales will deploy electronic interlocking systems for five stations, including outdoor facilities, ETCS (European Train Control System) Level 1 trackside equipment and CheckPoint solutions (trackside train condition monitoring).  GSM-R access will be set up by Kapsch CarrierCom, including dispatcher extensions, CAB radios and handheld devices.

Thomas Schöpf, chief operating officer of Kapsch CarrierCom commented, “These systems will enable the line to support an increase in train speed and higher train frequencies, significantly increasing line capacity”.

“The Thales centre of competence in Austria for interlocking systems and ETCS combined with  Kapsch’ GSM-R expertise enables us to jointly expand the line as part of the International Rail Corridor IV, where we already have been chosen for the 128 km Plovdiv-Svilengrad line.” says Dr. Alfred Veider, CEO of Thales Austria.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Award-winning Manchester Metrolink
    October 11, 2013
    Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and Thales recently scooped awards at the recent Light Rail Awards for the Manchester Metrolink extension, where the Metrolink was awarded UK Light Rail Project of the Year, and the Metrolink operator RATP won Operator of the Year. In addition, the M-Pact Thales (MPT) consortium was named European Supplier of the Year.
  • Multi-modal transport system key to liveable city development
    June 20, 2012
    Malaysia’s Economic Transformation Programme aims to transform Kuala Lumpur into one of the world’s most liveable cities. Mohd Nur Kamal, CEO of SPAD, Malaysia’s Land Transport Commission, explains how a world class multi-modal transport system will be key to reaching that goal Superficially, Kuala Lumpur, or KL as it is commonly known, is the model of a vibrant, modern, cosmopolitan city to equal any in the world. The Petronas Twin Towers, an iconic global symbol of Malaysia, are surrounded by stunningly
  • Performance indicators help differentiate between truck tolling systems
    August 20, 2014
    Traffic Quality Management Karl Ernst Ambrosch talks to ITS International about a new KPI-based methodology for assessing the efficacy of electronic toll collection schemes The debate over which is the ‘best’ solution for applications such as truck tolling is now years old.
  • EBRD investment to modernise Serbia's railways
    March 15, 2012
    The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is continuing to support the modernisation of Serbia’s transport infrastructure and promote further reform of the rail sector with a sovereign-guaranteed loan of up to €95 million (US$125 million) to the Serbian Railways company.