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

  • GMV to upgrade Cyprus public transport
    October 7, 2016
    Spanish technology group GMV is to upgrade the public transport system in Cyprus under a contract awarded by the country’s Ministry of Communications and Public Works.
  • Technology advances improve enforcement
    July 26, 2012
    Across the board, technology is being brought to bear to improve the efficiency of enforcement. Bus lane monitoring, parking and controlled access have all benefited from systems introduced in recent months. While speed and red light infringements tend to attract the most attention, there remain several other areas of enforcement where automation can bring significant operational and efficiency benefits. Lane monitoring and access control also continue to benefit from technological development.
  • Growing use of video monitoring in traffic management
    February 2, 2012
    The county-wide expansion of CCTV coverage in Florida Department of Transportation's District Four is detailed by Citilog's Eric Toffin
  • Masabi mobile ticketing to roll out on New York MTA
    May 19, 2016
    Following successful field testing, the first phase of the Masabi MTA eTix apps developed for New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), is expected to launch on select lines of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and Metro-North (MNR) in June. The app, which allows customers to purchase train tickets via a mobile device, will first debut on the LIRR’s Port Washington Branch and Metro-North’s Hudson Line and will be available to all Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North customers by the end of