Ceneri tunnel: ales awarded the signalling system for souern Gotard extension

16.09.2016 Ceneri tunnelsignalling systemGotthard TunnelETCSInnoTrans

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Key points

Thales wins signalling contract for the Ceneri tunnel, the continuation of the Gotthard tunnel.

ETCS technology allows for more than 300 trains per day at speeds of up to 250 km/h.

The new link will cut travel times between Zurich and Milan to under three hours.

Following completion of the Gotthard tunnel, the AlpTransit Gotthard Ltd has awarded Thales the 57 million (CHF 63 million) signalling contract for the Ceneri tunnel. The new tunnel is the final section of the transalpine rail corridor that will link Zurich and Milan in less than three hours journey time.

Located 25 km south of the Gotthard tunnel, the Ceneri Base Tunnel between Bellinzona and Lugano in Switzerland has a total length of 15.4 km. Like the Gotthard tunnel, it comprises two single-track tubes separated by a space of 40 meters.

Thales will again be providing its state-of-the-art ETCS Level 2 train control technology, and will have overall responsibility for project management and integration of train command and control systems. The tunnel is scheduled to open in 2020.

Thales signalling technology will reduce the journey time between Locarno and Lugano from todays 55 minutes to 22 minutes, with more than 300 trains travelling in both directions every day at speeds of up to 250 km/h.

The Ceneri tunnel is part of Switzerland's far-reaching railway modernisation programme. It is expected to be used by thousands of passengers and hundreds of freight trains every day.

Notes to editors

In the area of control and signalling technology for local and long distance rail transport, Thales is one of the leading providers of trackside equipment worldwide and particularly in Switzerland. Thales counts all major rail companies in Switzerland among our customers and is leading provider of solutions for the European Train Control System (ETCS).

Railway signalling is used to direct railway traffic and keep trains clear of each other at all times. In the early days of the railways, signalmen were responsible for ensuring any points were set correctly before allowing a train to proceed. The concept of the interlocking of points, signals and other appliances was introduced to improve safety. As well as this interlocking function, the latest systems supervise train movements, controlling the exact position and speed of every train on the network. The European Train Control System (ETCS) is a signalling, control and train protection system designed to replace the many incompatible safety systems currently used by each country. For operators, signalling technology is of strategic importance because it is safety-critical and determines how fast a train can travel and how many trains can travel on the same line in a given time period.

Contact

Victoire Chartier, Media relations Transportation

33 1 57 77 90 22

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Ceneri tunnel: Thales awarded the signalling system for southern Gotthard extension

LINK:	https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/worldwide/press-release/ceneri-tunnel-t...
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