French rolling stock manufacturer Alstom has won a major signalling and telecommunications systems contract for the railway line connecting Delhi and Meerut.
This will be the first deployment of the European Train Control System (ETCS) for a mainline railway in India. It will be a hybrid Level 3 – meaning a combination of ETCS Level 2 and shorter virtual sections usually used in Level 3. Alstom says “the contract marks a world premiere for the combination of the latest ETCS standard supported by the latest digital interlocking and Automatic Train Operation (ATO) over Long Term Evolution (LTE) radio”.
The National Capital Region Transport Corporation Ltd (NCRTC) has awarded Alstom the contract to design, supply and install the signalling, train control and telecommunications system for the 82.15km Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor, a semi-high-speed railway line that will cut journey times between the two cities from 90–100 minutes currently to 60 minutes. The maximum speed for trains on the line will be 160km/h.
NCRTC is a joint venture between the government of India and the states of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
As part of the contract, Alstom will also test and commission the signalling, train control and telecommunications systems, and provide the platform screen doors.
“As leaders in digital mobility, we are thrilled to receive this contract and provide India’s first-ever line with the future proof signalling system. Alstom sees huge potential for the technology in the Indian market. We are looking forward to deploying our advanced technologies in a bid to revamp the mainline railway landscape.”
Alstom’s Atlas ERTMS Level 2 and hybrid Level 3 solutions dispense with physical lineside signalling equipment.
The Regional Rapid Transit System
Eight corridors have been identified, of which three have been prioritised. The Delhi-Meerut corridor is one of these. The system is to deliver fast, high-frequency (5–10 minute headway) rail services between regional nodes.
The other two corridors also currently under construction are Delhi-Panibat and Delhi-Anwar. Construction on all three started in 2019 and they are all due to open in 2025. The system is to be interoperable so that trains can run on all the different corridors. This will provide a more seamless experience for passengers as they won’t have to change trains between corridors.
Bombardier Transportation won the contract to manufacture the rolling stock for the corridor.
