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

  • Thales to supply ticketing system for India’s Gurgaon Metro
    March 26, 2012
    Thales has been awarded a contract to implement a ticketing system for the Rapid MetroRail Gurgaon, a new metro transit system in the city of Gurgaon, connected to Delhi metro.
  • Astaldi wins rail upgrade contract in Poland
    June 28, 2017
    The Italian Astaldi Group has been awarded the contract by Polskie Linie Kolejowe (PKP) to upgrade a section of the E-59 Warsaw-Poznań railway line (Lot IV).
  • Smarter transport remains key to smart cities
    January 9, 2018
    Colin Sowman looks at some of the challenges and solutions that will provide enhanced transport efficiency in tomorrow’s smarter cities. However you define a ‘smart city’, one of the key ingredients will be an efficient transport system. As most governments and city authorities face financial constraints, incremental improvements in the existing systems is the most likely way forward. In London, new trains and signalling are improving the capacity of the Underground but that then reveals previously
  • Kapsch CarrierCom implements radio network for Rio De Janeiro metro line
    August 5, 2016
    Kapsch CarrierCom has provided the TETRA (Terrestrial Trunked Radio) communications infrastructure for Line 4 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which began operating on 1 August, in time for the 2016 Olympic Games. TETRA offers voice and data connectivity that is dedicated, secure and highly reliable, ensuring optimal network performance. It facilitates communication for the operator, transmits relevant operational data, and makes a key contribution to an increasing passenger safety and efficiency. The compa