Thales strengthens its transport activities in Greece through a railway signalling and telecommunications systems contract
KEY POINTS
- Thales will upgrade signalling and telecommunications on a 73 km section of the Athens Patras line.
- Thales’s integrated solutions will allow trains to travel at 200 km/h.
- Thales has deployed signalling, communications and supervision solutions extensively both in Europe and elsewhere in the world. The Group is the market leader in ETCS deployment, having equipped 30% of the world’s railway tracks.
Thales has been approved by the ERGOSE (Greek Railways) to improve one of its most important sections. This is a major recognition for the Group, and Thales will apply all the expertise and knowledge of more than 60 years of activity in the railway sector, both in Spain and in numerous international projects. This project will be led by the Spanish teams of Thales with the support of the Greek team for the local implementation.
The section covers 73 km between Kiato and Rododafni and is highly relevant in connecting the capital with the west of the country. The two tracks will have international track width, with two-directional signalling that will allow trains to travel at speeds of up to 200 km/h, reducing travel time between Patra and Athens to two hours.
The performance of the line could be improved with Thales’ signalling system based on electronic interlocking, field elements (track circuits, drives for detours, signals), Altrac ETCS level 1 as ATP train protection system, energy systems, hotbox detectors, cables and interfaces with existing signalling systems on adjacent lines.
In addition to the signalling systems, the contract includes the installation and putting into service of the telecommunication systems based on fibre optic cables, structured cables, telephone and SDH systems.
Jesús Sánchez Bargos, president of Thales España, said: “Through this new contract Thales España, which is already participating in projects in Turkey, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Nigeria or Mexico, continues its international outreach by exporting Spanish technology and its expertise as a leader in signalling, control and communications systems and security and civil protection systems.”