Thales has secured a 10-year frame contract with BLS AG, one of Switzerland's largest railway companies, to equip its lines with electronic interlockings extra with optical signalling.
The new project reaffirms BLS’s infrastructure modernisation programme as it aims to improve its overall efficiency.
“We are very pleased to again collaborate with BLS and to modernise this Swiss railway with Thales electronic interlockings, providing a mature and reliable system and ensuring high usability and efficiency to save energy.
Kurt Sauerwein, managing director ground transportation systems for Thales commented: “This new contract reinforces our excellent, long-standing relationship, which dates back more than 20 years and marks a great success for Thales Transport in Switzerland”, commented Kurt Sauerwein, managing director ground transportation systems for Thales.
BLS is one of Switzerland’s largest transport companies, operating trains on the Bern and Central Switzerland S-Bahn networks – from Bern to Payerne or from Lucerne to Bern as well as InterRegio Express and RegioExpress lines
The solution provided by Thales will also allow the BLS to convert existing interlockings to the European Train Control System Level 2 (ETCSL2) without having to replace the indoor interlocking equipment.
“Thales’s offer was convincing in terms of sustainability, a high level of synergies and a very good fulfilment of all our qualitative criteria. We look forward to continuing our long-standing partnership”, said Daniel Wyder, head of infrastructure at BLS.
Thales and BLS both tested the proposed power consumption of the system which showed that it had much lower power consumption and better efficiency which it is hoped will help with the environmental impact and sustainability targets for BLS.
Photo: BLS
