Major signalling contract for Alstom Transport
Belgium

On Thursday 31 May, Infrabel approved a contract with
BELGOSIGNAL, the temporary company set up by Alstom Belgium and
Siemens Belgium, for the supply and installation of new
signalling box equipment.

This project, worth a total of 414 million euros, will be
fulfilled in the form of a framework contract covering the period
2007 to 2012. Alstom Belgiums share may rise to as much as
286 million euros. It covers the points part of the signalling
boxes, that is to say the management of traffic with the
installation of Jade, TFM and Smartlock 400
equipment in the 1,400 cabinets to be built and placed along the
tracks. Siemens Belgium is in charge of the traffic supervision
equipment in the 31 boxes.

This signalling contract is the most significant one secured
by the Charleroi site to date, due to the challenges it presents
in terms of logistics. The project takes in the definition of the
systems, the purchasing of parts, construction of the equipment
and deployment, within a very tight timeframe set by
Infrabel.

For the completion of this project, which will over time
involve several dozen people, the teams already in place will be
expanded and the workshops converted

By 2012, the Infrabel network will have been streamlined to
consist of just 31 ultra-modern control centres (plus 11 that can
be controlled remotely) against the 368 signalling boxes
currently in operation. These new electronic centres and their
very high level installations will strengthen network safety and
increase the regularity of rail traffic.

Concentration of the
368 signalling boxes into 31 ultra-modern boxes and the merging
of the 5 Despatching centres into a single Traffic Control unit
are two of the major priorities included by Infrabel in its BRIO
(Belgian Railway Infrastructure Objectives) strategic plan. Entry
into service of the new signalling boxes will take place
gradually. The one in Charleroi is destined to become one of the
most important on the network, both from the point of view of
work stations and the area it serves.