Advanced traction and signalling systems for the Beijing Metro

Alstom and its two Chinese joint ventures have been awarded two contracts by Beijing MTR Construction Administration Corp., totaling 140 million, to provide both advanced traction and signalling systems for the new Line 6 of the Beijing metro.

Beijing Line 6, which represents the longest metro line in construction in Beijing, is 42 km long with 27 stations, and runs through the city, starting from Wuluju in the West to Tongzhou New Town in the East. As Beijings first metro line of large capacity adopting 8-car train sets, it travels at 100km/h with a 3-minute headway. The entry into commercial service of Beijing Line 6 Phase 1 is planned in 2012.

The first joint venture, Shanghai Alstom Transport Electrical Equipment Co., Ltd. (SATEE), will provide a traction system with the latest technology named OPTONIX for the 512 metro cars (64 8-car train set). OPTONIX, specially designed and developed by Alstom for the Chinese market, reduces travel time and increases frequency of the train operation. Furthermore, it allows the train to consume 30% less energy than a conventional metro. Already implemented on Beijing L15, this system is now fully operational since the end of 2010.

In parallel, the second joint venture, CASCO, will deliver an advanced train control and signalling system to Beijing Line 6. The metro line 6 will be equipped with the Urbalis Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) system that integrates network communications with data transmission by radio. Already implemented on Line 2, Alstoms Urbalis CBTC system reduces the intervals between trains in order to ensure passenger traffic of over one million passengers per day.

These are significant contracts for Alstom as they show continued confidence of Beijing MTR in Alstoms technologies for a city that is rapidly building one of the worlds largest metro networks. Through Alstoms long term partnerships and CASCO and SATEE joint ventures, as well as our strong localization strategy in China over the recent years, we have successfully delivered numerous metro projects, thereby creating a mechanism to best respond to the mass transit market growth in China, stated Dominique Pouliquen, President of Alstom Transport Asia Pacific and Alstom China Country President.

Over the past 7 years, Alstom has put in service its Urbalis advanced signalling systems on 7 metro lines in China¹. In addition, Alstom has also supplied over 1600 metro cars and related traction systems in China, including more than 1,200 Metropolis metro cars and traction systems for Shanghai².

¹ Beijing Line 2, Fangshan Line, and Airport Express Line; Shanghai Line 3, Line 4, and Line 10, and Shenzhen Line 2. 

² Line 3 - Pearl Line/ Line 5 - Xin Min Line/ Line 8 - Yangpu Line / Line 6 - Pu Dong Line/ Line 1 extension 2 / Line 2 West Ext and Eastern Ext / Line 10), 456 Metropolis metro cars and traction systems for Nanjing (Line 1 / L1 Southern Ext/ Line 2 / L2 East Ext) as well as over 1,400 metro cars to Hong Kong MTR (East Rail Line, Tsuen Wan Line, Island Line and Kwung Tong Line.

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