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Thales awarded the contract to upgrade Kuala Lumpur Ampang Line to fully automated CBTC signalling

Posted: 3 September 2012 | Thales | No comments yet

Thales has been selected to provide its world-leading SelTrac CBTC system…

Thales announced that it has been selected by George Kent (Malaysia) Berhad (GKM), a Malaysian company specializing in mechanical and engineering work, to provide its world-leading SelTrac Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) system for the existing 27 km Ampang Line, plus an 18 km southwest extension. The latest technology upgrades will allow the Ampang Line to perform safely and reliably to improve performance for its growing passenger service and mobility needs.

“We are extremely proud of the confidence both George Kent and Prasarana (the Malaysian government’s public transport organisation) are putting in Thales technology and expertise, underlining the long-standing presence of Thales in Malaysia and its local partnership strategy,” said Jean-Philippe Durieux, Thales Country Director in Malaysia. “Our localization strategy, together with a growing involvement in the Malaysian Government Rail Industry Program, will be further reinforced thanks to this new success, following the Monorail and the Kelana Jaya LRT line in Kuala Lumpur”.

The Ampang Line consists of two routes that begin at two different stations to the south of the city, meeting at an interchange station, continuing through the city centre and ending at the same station at the north. The Ampang re-signalling and signalling of the extension is scheduled for completion in 2015.

“The selection of Thales’ solution will provide seamless integration and significant cost savings as the CBTC system is also currently utilised for the Kelana Jaya LRT line. Thales played an integral role in the development of the Kelana Jaya LRT line, making them the obvious choice to provide the same SelTrac fully automated signalling communications platform for the Ampang line and Ampang LEP. Their experience and safety track record in driverless train systems were crucial in the selection of a world-class signalling systems provider. With Thales on board, the project is on track for completion within requirements,” said a spokesperson for GKM.

The SelTrac CBTC system is supplied by Thales’ centre of competence in Toronto, which pioneered the revolutionary technology 25 years ago. With continual innovation, the technology has evolved over time and operators continue to benefit from increased system capacity, low operating and maintenance costs, optimal life cycle costs, and proven driverless technology.

Thales’ CBTC system has been proven on 53 projects to date and operates on over 1,200 km of track in major urban centers around the world, carrying an estimated 3 billion passengers annually.