The East Japan Railway Company (JR East) has awarded a contract to Thales to design a communications-based train control system (CBTC) for Tokyo’s 30km-long Joban suburban line.

The new CBTC system will be installed on the line that connects Ayase with Toride. The line has 14 stations, an operating fleet of 70 trains, and currently uses a conventional automatic train control system.

Intended to replace the existing system, JR East expects the new CBTC technology to improve transportation systems in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, while optimising life cycle cost.

""With this contract Thales becomes the first non-Japanese company to enter the Japanese signalling market."

JR East aims to develop railway systems free of track circuits, offering cost advantages with high reliability.

The CBTC technology requires less equipment and optimises the line’s maintenance accordingly, which will meet JR East’s goal.

Thales Japan country director Jean-Louis Moraud said: "With this contract Thales becomes the first non-Japanese company to enter the Japanese signalling market, via the city of Tokyo, home to the world’s busiest railway network.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

"Thales is pleased to bring its latest signalling technology and experience in urban rail systems modernisation to a country that already benefits from great advances in the transport sector."

More than 55 projects across the globe have successfully implemented Thales’s CBTC system. To date, the system operates on more than 1,300km of track in major urban centres worldwide, carrying an estimated three billion passengers each year.