State Railway of Thailand entrusts the safety of the Red Line suburban train to Thales’ ETCS; As the first electrified main line for railways on the SRT network, the ETCS system will ensure highest safety standards and boost capacity by up to 40%; It will be the third ETCS project in Thailand.
BANGKOK – Thailand’s main rail operator, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), will adopt the European Train Control System (ETCS), ensuring the highest safety standards of operation. Through a contract signed with Nippon Signal, Thales will deliver the ETCS on two section of the Red Line suburban train in Bangkok, totaling a distance of 41 km.
The Red Line commuter train system is a suburban rail project proposed by the SRT to address traffic congestion and encourage a shift from road transport to urban rail. The line is expected to serve 131,000 commuters daily when it goes into service. As part of Bangkok’s Mass Rapid Transit Master Plan which aims to develop an urban rail transit network to serve metropolitan Bangkok and its surrounding urban areas, the Red Line is the first line which is fully integrated into SRT’s conventional main line rail network.
On the Red Line, new electrical commuter trains will run as well as long distance passenger trains. It will consist of the following two lines: North Line (from Rangsit to Bang Sue) and West Line (from Bang sue to Taling Chan).
The Thales ETCS system will ensure the highest safety standards for railway transport on the complete line. 25 new electric multiple unit trains and two existing non-electrified vehicles will be equipped with Thales ETCS on-board system, resulting in a total of 53 on-board units. Being fit for the future, they will run in a pure Level 1 configuration but can easily be adapted for Level 2. The Red Line sections to be equipped are partly built in a four-track alignment and the remainder as a double-track line. The signalling part is planned to be finished in 2020.
Thales stands ready to support SRT’s plans for growth. With proven signalling competencies and international market knowledge based on previous partnerships with Nippon Signal and earlier ETCS installations for SRT in Thailand, Thales hopes to enhance the technology and expertise delivered to the Thai transportation industry.
“As Thailand develops its transportation infrastructure to support a growing urban population, Thales continues to be a committed partner to the country, as we’ve done for close to 30 years across various businesses. We are supporting Thailand’s ambitions in developing a robust urban rail network, and providing systems that ensure the highest level of safety to the SRT’s commuters. We look forward to working closely with our partner Nippon Signal to bring the Red Line to the Thai people.”
— Tommy Ayouty, Country Director of Thales in Thailand.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales. She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
