Skip to main content

Thales wins San Francisco train control contract

Thales has been awarded a US$23 million contract by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) for the design and construction of advanced train control technology for the new Central Subway project, an extension of the existing T Line. Thales will supply its field-proven SelTrac communications based train control (CBTC) technology for the 1.7 mile project, a solution designed to improve transit options for residents in one of the city’s most densely populated neighbourhoods, provide a ra
October 15, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
596 Thales has been awarded a US$23 million contract by the 4802 San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) for the design and construction of advanced train control technology for the new Central Subway project, an extension of the existing T Line.

Thales will supply its field-proven SelTrac communications based train control (CBTC) technology for the 1.7 mile project, a solution designed to improve transit options for residents in one of the city’s most densely populated neighbourhoods, provide a rapid transit link to a burgeoning technology and digital media hub and improve access to a premier commercial district and tourist attraction.

For SFMTA, the SelTrac CBTC solution provides maximum performance in terms of headways, passenger throughput and energy conservation. It monitors the location of each train with a high degree of accuracy, which allows faster response times, more tightly controlled movements and easier expandability and adaptability. In addition, the solution offers the opportunity to lower life-cycle costs and increase revenue by moving more people more quickly. For passengers, the system will result in safe operations and a more predictable commute.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Investment in pedestrian, cycling initiatives pays off
    June 30, 2014
    Five years after the Non-motorised Transportation Pilot Program (NTPP) was established to measure the impact of investment in walking and cycling initiatives, the US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has reported a 22.8 per cent increase in walking and a 48.3 per cent increase in cycling, while an estimated 85.1 million vehicle miles were avoided. The NTPP provided approximately US$25 million each to four pilot communities (Columbia, Missouri; Marin County, California; Minneapolis area, Minnesota; an
  • Arup reveals its vision of the future of rail
    July 2, 2014
    Engineering and consulting firm Arup has unveiled its vision of the future of rail travel in the light of trends such as urban population growth, climate change and emerging technologies. The Future of Rail 2050 foresees predictive maintenance of rail lines by robot drones; driverless trains travelling safely at high speed, freight delivered automatically to its destination, and smart technology designed to improve passenger experience and enable ticketless travel. According to Colin Stewart, Global
  • Smart phones offer smarter way to pay for travel
    December 16, 2013
    David Crawford reviews developments in near field communications for mass transit payments. ‘A carefully-designed and well-implemented mobile near field communications (NFC) solutions can give passengers a compelling experience that will encourage them to make greater use of public transport.’ That was the confident conclusion of a recent joint White Paper drawn up by the International Association of Public Transport and the global mobile operators’ representative group GSMA.
  • Integrating ferry transport into smart ticketing
    March 1, 2013
    Transport authorities are increasingly looking to integrate ferry travel into the mix of public transport. David Crawford finds out more. The new A$370m (US$398m) Opal public transport smartcard system being installed by the Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS)-led Pearl consortium in Sydney is geographically the largest in the world to date. The consortium includes the Commonwealth Bank of Australia; Australian retail payment system provider ePay; Australian infrastructure engineering company Downer Group; a