Thales Secures Turin's First Metro Line Network for 2006 Winter Olympics
10 February 2006
The Turin project showcases Thales's world-leading ability to provide secure public transport ticketing systems to meet demanding Olympic deadlines.
London - 10 February 2006: The completion of the advanced access control and ticketing system for the new City of Turin metro in time for the 2006 Winter Olympic Games underlines Thales's ability to deliver world-leading transport systems for major events. As a provider of over 50 such systems around the world, including nationwide operations in the Netherlands and soon in Denmark, Thales believes the Turin project is an important testimony to the company's ability to deliver high profile public projects to a tight time deadline and demanding standard as required for Olympic Games. The Turin experience together with continued presence in other major events will help position Thales as a strong contender for the provision of safety and security solutions for future Olympic Games. A key part of the preparation for all Olympic cities is also the modernisation of core infrastructure, including transport.
The Turin metro consists of a 13km line linking the northwest commuter belt of Collegno, with Porta Nuova, a central station in the heart of the city. The addition of this new line was an important requirement for Turin being chosen to host the 2006 Winter Olympics so that the city could cope with the influx of visitors. In the long-term, it will also provide the residents of Turin with a viable public transport alternative to driving into the city. This system will also be the first in Europe in which public transport ticketing has been integrated with car park ticketing, allowing customers to use one ticket for both travelling and parking.
Thales had just one year to deliver the ticketing systems before the start of the Winter Olympics in February 2006. Thales has successfully achieved this, providing the automated ticketing equipment, which has been installed in 15 new unmanned stations built along Line 1. Thales won this contract in February 2005 based on its high score from the technical evaluation, as well as demonstrating successful delivery of similar projects in Naples, The Netherlands and Denmark.
The system Thales has implemented in Turin is comprised of access control equipment with tickets and card readers at all sites and intrusion detection systems. The system, operated by a central server based in Collegno, consists of 183 access control gates, 183 magnetic ticket-handling units, 183 contactless card and ticket handling units and 36 automatic ticket vending machines.
As well as the technical considerations, Thales had to take into account specific requirements linked to the Paralympics, which are to take place after the Olympics. Having worked with the Italian association for disabled people to access the needs of this group when travelling by metro, Thales designed the first ever access gate to accommodate disabled people, especially those who are blind or partially sighted. This includes wider gates, a buzzer to warn the passenger and a monitoring device on the floor that reacts to the approaching person, essential in unmanned stations.
In December 2005, Thales received an additional order from the customer, Gruppo Torinese Trasporti (GTT) to equip one of the operator's 20 car parks with a ticketing system that is fully integrated with the transport network. Passengers leaving their vehicles at this car park can now purchase a magnetic ticket at the car park that will cover both the parking and the use of the metro. After delivery of the first car park system in just one month, Thales will now work with GTT to implement the same system in the other car parks and expand it to include contactless tickets. This is the first time such a system has been installed in Europe. The approach has already proven very successful and popular in Hong Kong.
Jean Louis OliГ©, managing director of Thales' transportation system activities, said: "The Olympic Games is the world's most high profile and highly organised large event. Transport is one of the most complex elements of the Games and getting it wrong is simply not an option. The Turin project demonstrates the challenges facing host cities and the work Thales completed there will show how advanced ticketing systems can greatly improve the visitor experience and provide long-term benefits for the citizens of Turin. Delivering to a tight deadline within one year was challenging but our experience of implementing more systems of this kind around the world than any other company gave us the ability and confidence to rise to the occasion."
