Skip to main content

Thales to upgrade New York’s Queens Boulevard subway line

In a contract worth US$49.6 million from the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), Thales is to upgrade the New York subway’s busy Queens Boulevard Line with its signalling solution. The contract includes the deployment of the Thales’s communications-based train control system, SelTrac CBTC, as well as the supply of equipment for the line’s train fleet. Design work for the Queens Boulevard Line is getting underway and installations are expected to begin in mid-2017.
October 1, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
In a contract worth US$49.6 million from the New York 1267 Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), 596 Thales is to upgrade the New York subway’s busy Queens Boulevard Line with its signalling solution.

The contract includes the deployment of the Thales’s communications-based train control system, SelTrac CBTC, as well as the supply of equipment for the line’s train fleet. Design work for the Queens Boulevard Line is getting underway and installations are expected to begin in mid-2017.

The contract is one of two that will allow New York City Transit to operate more trains per hour on this line, thereby increasing passenger capacity, and provide improved and more reliable services.  When complete, this multi-year contract will enable the line to use a CBTC system on multiple routes. The other contract was awarded to 189 Siemens.

MTA sees the line as being the first interoperable line in the world, which will allow Thales’ equipment to work seamlessly with other CBTC suppliers’ equipment.

SelTrac CBTC continuously updates train positions, distances and travel speeds, allowing for faster and more efficient operations. Continuous updates allow the subway system to recover quickly from delays and restore consistent wait times at subway stations for passengers.

The installation of SelTrac CBTC will maintain the signalling system in a state of good repair and will also enhance safety for passengers and employees alike. With CBTC, NYC Transit can program a work zone so trains cannot exceed a set speed, making the work zone much safer for workers on the tracks.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Robust growth for Sensys
    August 21, 2014
    Orders from the Swedish Transport Administration (STA -Trafikverket) have contributed to Sensys Traffic’s net sales in the second quarter of 2014, which rose by 127 per cent. This robust growth was primarily fuelled by speed measurement system deliveries to the Swedish automatic safety control (ATC) stations. The orders, for monitoring systems, roadside cabinets and spare parts for speed enforcement enabled the company to deliver an operating profit of US$970,000. The company’s gross margin for the quart
  • 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.
  • The bus to IP access control has left the station
    April 9, 2014
    David Lenot examines how mass transit agencies can benefit from IP access control and the features required to ensure a sound investment. With millions of commuters relying on their services daily, mass transit agencies are faced with the unfortunate reality that their operations are susceptible to threats. A single incidence of unauthorised access to restricted areas and buildings could be the catalyst to damaged property, endangered lives or other unfortunate events. Unlike an international airport
  • Closer running and investment to boost capacity of Britain’s railways, says new report
    January 4, 2017
    Closer running to increase the frequency of train services, alongside investment in new railway infrastructure, are recommendations to boost UK rail capacity in the new report by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and the Transportation Research Laboratory (TRL). The report, Increasing capacity; putting Britain’s railways back on track, makes recommendations to meet growing rail passenger demand, which is forecast to double by the 2040s. The Institution of Mechanical Engineers and TRL are offering s