A joint-venture (JV) comprising Thales and Siemens Rail Automation has secured a €54m contract from Spanish railway infrastructure manager ADIF to supply the European railways traffic management system (ERTMS) automatic train protection for the Pajares Diversion in Spain.
The scope of the contract will include fitting the section with signalling and railway traffic control systems for safety and security of the line, passengers, rolling stock and the remainder of the railway installations.
Additional tasks to be carried out under the contract are development and installation of train protection systems, fixed-line telecommunications, centralised traffic control (CTC), access control and video surveillance systems along the 50km-long Pajares, which is a part of the León-Asturias high-speed line.
The León-Asturias high-speed line connects the centre of Spain to the north.
As part of the contract, the JV will also deliver services that will connect the Pajares Diversion with the Santibáñez-La Robla section and Pola de Lena station, belonging to the conventional-width Venta de Baños-Gijón commuter railway line.
In addition, both the companies will maintain the installations at the line for one year, with an option to extend for a further year.
Phase 1 of the project will allow for commercial operation under the protection of the automatic braking and signal announcement system supplied by Siemens Rail Automation.
During phase 2, Thales will install its ERTMS level 2 system on the line. The ERTMS level 2 system will allow speeds of up to 350kmph to be reached.
Siemens Rail Automation and Thales have also jointly undertaken projects on different Spanish high-speed lines.
