Thales launches SelTracTM G7 latest-generation train control system

• SelTrac™ Generation 7 (G7) is the latest generation of the world-leading automatic train control solution from Thales
• The system relies on the latest technologies to significantly reduce operation and maintenance costs, while maintaining passenger safety
• Cybersecured by design, SelTrac™ G7 adds another layer to ensure safety and continuity of mass transit operations in an environment with growing cyber threats Thales

At Innotrans 2018, Thales, the company that invented Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) presents the 7th generation of SelTracTM  train control system. SelTracTM G7 incorporates the latest technologies and modern train operation features to help operators to achieve their ambitions and passengers to have a better journey experience.

Rail operators need to transport passengers safely and efficiently, and if an incident occurs they must keep traffic moving and restore normal service as quickly as possible. With over 50% of the world's population living in cities (a figure that is expected to exceed 70% by 2050), metro networks need to be able to boost capacity, meeting growing demand without interrupting day-to-day operations. The two main ingredients of the SelTrac™ CBTC system, digitalization and mobile communication, enable SelTrac™ to embrace the latest technology evolution. Innovation is central to the global strategy of Thales Group. Many new technologies from Thales mission critical defence, security, and avionics sectors are available for adaptation to the train control solution. 

By leveraging the innovation and expertise of the Thales Group, this latest-generation train control systems is cybersecured by design and is forward compatible. The new Thales solution is designed to ensure long and extendable design life without the need for disruptive, system-wide re-signalling. The new Thales solution is designed to enable operators to embrace new technology over time without fear of service disruption.

This seventh-generation CBTC solution from Thales includes a set of advanced functions that allow public transport operators to manage network growth, extensions, and fleet expansions as well as prepare for the future and control operations.

The user interface for the centralised command-and-control system uses web technologies to enable users to customise their own workstations. The equipment installed on the trains is also 20% more compact than previous generations, freeing up additional space for passengers.

Among other improvements, SelTrac™ G7 is designed to operate with any type of telecommunication system, including new-generation LTE (Long Term Evolution), making the overall solution even more robust. Like all previous generations of CBTC systems, SelTrac™ G7 can be deployed and operated without needing to install a secondary detection system, drastically reducing the initial outlay as well as recurrent maintenance costs.

In addition, thanks to the bidirectional line management capability of SelTrac™ G7, operators can reconfigure the entire network to reduce or eliminate any impact on travellers if a train is blocked in a station.

"Since the first system was introduced over 30 years ago, SelTrac™ has become a global benchmark in urban rail signalling. It has been installed on 86 metro lines in 40 cities around the world, helping to transport more than 3 billion passengers every year. With this generation of the SelTrac™ system, Thales is supporting the digital transformation of Urban Rail Operators by proposing a solution that incorporates the latest technologies and paves the way for the autonomous train operations of the next 30 years and beyond." Dominique Gaiardo, General Manager in charge of Thales’s urban rail signalling business.