Thales awarded turnkey contract for Personal Rapid Transit System at West Virginia University
Key points
- Thales to upgrade University’s personal rapid transit (PRT) system.
- Thales systems will improve safety, efficiency, and the user experience.
- About 15,000 people ride the school’s PRT daily during the school year.
Thales has been selected by West Virginia University to modernise the transportation systems of the Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) network on the Morgantown, West Virginia campus.
Under the terms of contract, Thales will supply a turnkey transport systems solution. The PRT Train Control and Upgraded Fare Collection Systems will replace the existing systems, which have been operational since 1975. The new Thales equipment will increase safety, improve system efficiency, and enhance the riders’ experience.
Thales’s solution includes its world leading Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) system, Automatic Fare Collection system, Passenger Information system, Platform Display Signs, New Central Control Equipment, and Steering Rail Design equipment. Additionally, Thales will perform system integration, testing and validation, safety assurance and training for the new systems.
“Our leading edge SelTrac CBTC technology, combined with our fare collection and Passenger Information solutions, will transform this vital West Virginia University campus conveyance into a modern, world-class transportation system,” said John Brohm, president of Thales Transportation and Security in the United States.
The new PRT System will be operational in 2016, in time for the 2016-2017 academic year.
West Virginia University’s Personal Rapid Transit system, which includes 4.5 miles of track, 71 vehicles, 5 stations, and a maintenance facility, connects the upper and lower West Virginia University campuses with the town of Morgantown, W.Va. Since its entry into service in 1975, around 82 million people have travelled on the PRT. During the school year, the PRT ridership is approximately 15,000 per day.
“Over the past several years, WVU has remained committed to a multi-phase PRT revitalisation programme. Thales’s Automatic Train Control modernisation is sure to make a major impact in drastically improving the reliability of the PRT system.”
Randy Hudak, Associate Vice President, WVU Facilities and Services.