The recently opened Beijing Metro Line 4 in China has been equipped with a Thales signalling system.

The system, a first for the company in Beijing, features the SelTrac solution which includes full automatic train operation and protection mode providing three-minute headways.

The 28.2km, 24-station underground metro line runs from AnHeqiaobei station in Beijing’s north-west to Gongyixiqiao in its south.

The company will add full communications-based train control (CBTC) to the signalling system during 2010, which features moving-block features to meet shorter headway requirements as passenger traffic increases.

The SelTrac CBTC solution is a distributed architecture with safe train separation maintained by zone controllers and radio communication between train and the track equipment.