Hungarian National Infrastructure Development Company (NIF) has awarded a €70m contract to a consortium, including Thales and Hungarian company Dunántúli, to deliver interlocking and electronic train protection technology for the 66km Szajol-Püspöklandány line.
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The project involves the design, delivery, installation and commissioning of Elektra electronic interlocking systems in five train stations, as well as building an operational management centre at Püspöklandány station.
It also includes installation of an ETCS level 2 Radio Block centre, after which about 180 points and 340 signals will be controlled by the operational management centre at the Püspöklandány station.
Thales senior vice0president for northern and central Europe Raphaël Eskinazi said NIF has chosen to improve this railway line using cutting-edge protection technology to make both passenger and freight transport more efficient and attractive.
"This is a crucial step as the line is part of the Trans-European Network," Eskinazi said.
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By GlobalDataThe installation of the train protection systems, which ensure the safe transportation of passengers and goods by train, will be completed by the end of 2015.
Thales has delivered control and protection technology projects for Hungarian operators including MÁV, GySEV and BKV.
The company has provided about 40 Elektra electronic interlocking systems in the country, which now manages about 800 points.
ETCS is a modern train protection system that comes with comes with three different levels.
ETCS Level 1 and ETCS Level 2 differ in the type of communication medium they use between the train and the trackside equipment.
The ETCS train protection systems are being installed in Europe following an EU directive in 1996 to ensure cross-border train operation compatibility.
Thales delivered its first European cross-border ETCS project on the line between Vienna and Budapest in 2006.
Caption: Thales is to deliver the first ETCS level 2 train protection sytem in Hungary for the 66km Szajol-Püspöklandány line. (Image courtesy of Thales.)
