Alstom bags Bengaluru Metro contract worth 96 million euros for CBTC signalling, platform screen doors

To enhance passenger safety, full-height platform screen doors (PSDs) will be installed at all underground stations on Reach 6 (Pink Line corridor) and the partially underground Airport Line terminal station.

Alstom on June 12 said that they have received a contract worth 96.2 million euros from Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) for the Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling system and platform screen doors for the upcoming Bengaluru Metro lines. The contract includes personnel training and annual maintenance for five years.

Also, read: Bengaluru Metro's new stations to get platform screen doors; Alstom lowest bidder

Alstom will design, manufacture, supply, install, test, and commission the CBTC signalling system for Bengaluru Metro’s three major corridors: Central Silk Board-KR Puram (2A, Blue Line), KR Puram–Kempegowda International Airport (2B, Blue Line), and Nagawara–Kalena Agrahara (Reach 6, Pink Line).

Platform screen doors at Metro Stations

To enhance passenger safety, full-height platform screen doors (PSDs) will be installed at all underground stations on Reach 6 (Pink Line corridor) and the partially underground Airport Line terminal station. Half-height platform screen gates (PSGs) will be installed at one at-grade station (Airport city station of Blue Line corridor).

PSDs at underground stations can lead to significant energy savings by reducing air-conditioning needs. This will be the first implementation of platform screen doors on the Bengaluru Metro corridors.

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State-of-the-Art technology

Alstom’s CBTC Urbalis, a solution developed at its Bengaluru campus with more than 1,000 engineers for deployment of various solutions worldwide, will also offer the highest Grade of Automation (GoA4), commonly known as ‘driverless technology’, across 50 stations and 3 depots.

Alstom’s Urbalis Vision platform will be set up at the integrated operation control centre (OCC) built at Byappanahalli, and the backup control centre (BCC) located at Peenya. These centres will serve as command hubs to control and monitor all train operations. The onboard automatic train control will interface with the rolling stock manufactured by BEML under Package 5RS-DM, managing the headway and safety of 53 trains in a 6-car configuration each.

Alstom will also deploy its predictive maintenance tool, HealthHub, to enable real-time condition-based monitoring of the health of trains, infrastructure, and signalling assets using advanced data analytics to predict the remaining useful life. The company said this approach minimises operational downtime, maximises system availability, and optimises lifecycle costs.

Olivier Loison, Alstom India's managing director said, “Alstom is pleased to continue its longstanding partnership with Bengaluru Metro, which is India’s second-largest rapid transit system. We are committed to providing a world-class, efficient, and sustainable mass transport system that caters to the special needs of Bengaluru and supports the transition towards a sustainable future.”

In India, 18 metro lines are currently equipped or underway with Alstom’s signalling solutions.

“Alstom’s world-leading CBTC technology, enabling driverless operation, offers an exceptional level of service across the combined line length of 80.3 km. This project is expected to reduce traffic congestion in the city by minimising travel time by at least 50 percent, reducing CO2 emissions, and making a substantial contribution to the expanding public infrastructure of India's Silicon Valley,” the company said in a release.

“Alstom’s rail cyber security solution, backed by a secure and certified development process, will deliver an efficient answer to emerging cyber threats by safeguarding the backbone of modern transportation,” the company statement added.

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