Alstom signs a contract with Metrô BH to provide new signalling for Lines 1 and 2 of Belo Horizonte
Alstom signs a contract with Metrô BH to provide new signalling for Lines 1 and 2 of Belo Horizonte
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Alstom will implement an Automatic Train Operation (ATO) system
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Agreement provides for the installation of 48 new pieces of on-board equipment to 24 new trains and to adapting current trains operating on Line 1
October 9, 2023 – Alstom, a global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, has signed a contract with Metrô BH, a company under Grupo Comporte, to supply a new signalling system and Operational Control Center (OCC) for Line 1 and its extension, and the new Line 2 of Belo Horizonte’s Minas Gerais State metro. As part of this agreement, Alstom will implement an Automatic Train Operation (ATO) system, including new signalling and state-of-the-art onboard equipment. New systems will allow Metrô BH provide more efficient service since the start of operation of the future Line 2.
ATO provides a safer, more efficient and reliable system for riders. This technology ensures the trains stop at the right points and that doors open and close at set intervals. In addition, 48 Automatic Train Control (ATC) systems will be installed to equip 24 new trains that will be acquired in the future, besides the modernisation of existing trains operating on Line 1.
"The contract celebrates a significant transformation in the city's urban mobility. Through the implementation of state-of-the-art signalling technology and the improvement of the Operational Control Center, we are redefining the industry’s standards of excellence in Belo Horizonte."
"The contract celebrates a significant transformation in the city's urban mobility. Through the implementation of state-of-the-art signalling technology and the improvement of the Operational Control Center, we are redefining the industry’s standards of excellence in Belo Horizonte. The pioneering introduction of the ATO system underscores our commitment to bringing innovation and tangible enhancement to the transportation experience in Belo Horizonte,” says Michel Boccaccio, president of Alstom in Brazil and general director for Latin America.
To prepare for the ATO system, Alstom will be installing signalling on 28.1 km of Line 1 on the Eldorado-Vilarinho section, already existing, in addition to a future extension that will include the Novo Eldorado station, with an additional 1.6 km of permanent line extension. Additionally, the São Gabriel yard will be modernised, providing greater efficiency in operations and maintenance. Completion of the new Line 1 signalling, including the extension to the Novo Eldorado station, is scheduled for 2026.
Line 2 will have a total length of 10.5 kilometers of signalling with 7 stations that will extend from Nova Suíça to Barreiro. By 2027, work on line 2, including Barreiro station, will be completed. The concession contract provides that this section will be in operation by 2028. When both lines conclude, there will be approximately 40 kilometers of Alstom signalling in the metro of Belo Horizonte and it is estimated that more than 260,000 passengers will be benefited.
Grupo Comporte
The Comporte Group was founded in Patrocínio, in the Triângulo Mineiro region, and has been operating in the transport market for over 70 years, and currently is one of the biggest mobility operators in Brazil. In the railway sector, the Group has expertise in the tramway that connects Santos to São Vicente (SP), which is run by BR Mobilidade.
The Belo Horizonte metro was auctioned to the private sector on the São Paulo Stock Exchange in December 2022. Grupo Comporte won the service with a bid of R$25.75 million. In March 2023, the concession contract was signed and the company Metrô BH, belonging to the Comporte group, is responsible for managing the metro system in the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte, modernising and expanding Line 1, implementing Line 2 and operating the entire system over the next 30 years.
With the signing of the signalling contract, Grupo Comporte becomes a new Alstom mobility customer in Brazil.
Alstom Brazil
Present in Brazil since 1955, Alstom has actively participated in the development of infrastructure and mobility in the country, promoting social progress and respecting the environment. Leader in rail mobility in the Brazilian market, the company also has the largest installed signalling base in Latin America, with more than 6000 km of signalled lines and more than 2000 pieces of on-board equipment in operation.
Alstom promotes mobility through all rail transport product lines, delivered to the main passenger operators in Brazil, such as São Paulo (SP), Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Porto Alegre (RS), Fortaleza (CE), Recife (PE) and Brasília (DF). The production of rolling stock and the control and signalling systems, responsible for the safe movement of trains, are also present in the development of mobility projects for other countries in Latin America and around the world, such as Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, United States, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Dominican Republic, Romania and Taiwan.
