Thales's Communications-Based Train Control System Helps Vancouver SkyTrain
14 April 2010
Vancouver's fully driverless SkyTrain, operating with Thales's SelTrac communications-based train control (CBTC), provided uninterrupted service to millions of passengers during the Olympic Winter Games.
"In 1986, SkyTrain was the world's first urban rail line to use a fully driverless CBTC system," says Jean-Pierre Forestier, Thales SVP in charge of transportation systems. "This technology has changed the market worldwide. The achievements of SkyTrain during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games adds to its ongoing passenger service success story, and provides further credence to our worldwide leadership in CBTC technology."
Thales's fully automated SelTrac system allows safe operation at close train intervals for optimum passenger service. Central control operators can remotely start and quickly add trains to the line to accommodate a passenger surge. Olympic spectators put SkyTrain to the ultimate test with ridership doubling the norm during the two-week span.
"Both the SkyTrain's Expo and Millennium line system and the Canada line system performed unbelievably. For the Expo and Millennium lines alone, we estimate that over 7 million riders boarded between February 12-28 with a one-day record of 567,000 passengers," says Mike Richard, vice-president of operations and vehicle maintenance at BC Rapid Transit Corporation. "SkyTrain performed very efficiently with no significant delays to report, considering we operated at higher than peak service levels for more than 18 hours per day."
"For over 25 years we have had a very high level of satisfaction with SelTrac CBTC. The system has proven to be very reliable usually exceeding 99.7%," adds Mr Richard.
