Alstom delivers Australia’s first brownfield CBTC installation for Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel Project

Transforming urban mobility with advanced rail technology
Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel has officially begun passenger operations with Alstom’s Urbalis Flo Communications-Based Train Control system at its core. This marks the first time a high-capacity CBTC solution has been installed on an existing Australian rail network, significantly increasing service frequency and enabling thousands of additional weekly passenger trips. The integration supports tighter train intervals, improved traffic flow, and a more resilient operational structure for one of the country’s busiest transport systems.




A system designed for complex, existing networks
The project demonstrates how modern signalling can be seamlessly introduced into established rail environments. Alstom’s solution synchronises CBTC with conventional signalling, ensuring a smooth transition for operators while unlocking capacity gains previously impossible on the existing network. With the opening of five new underground stations, Melbourne’s rail system has undergone its largest transformation in more than four decades, more than doubling the size of the city’s underground network.




Precision, safety and automation enhancements
Alstom has delivered a tailored version of its Urbalis Flo system that supports Automatic Train Operation for driver-assisted autonomous running. Custom Platform Screen Doors were integrated to ensure accurate stopping performance and enhanced passenger safety at stations. Extensive validation was completed before launch, including over 4,000 hours and 70,000 kilometres of dynamic testing to confirm reliability, speed-profile precision, and reduced turn-back times.




Global expertise supporting a locally critical project
The Metro Tunnel project was executed by highly coordinated teams spanning Australia, Europe, Asia, and North America, reflecting the multinational expertise required for a high-complexity, brownfield signalling deployment. Since signing the contract in 2017, Alstom has met all delivery commitments within schedule, supporting the State of Victoria’s objective of modernising metropolitan transport infrastructure.

A new benchmark for Australian rail networks
With this milestone, Melbourne becomes the second Australian city equipped with modern CBTC, joining Sydney and complementing Alstom’s high-capacity signalling work in Perth. No other rail technology provider has delivered urban CBTC in Australia, consolidating Alstom’s leadership in advanced signalling solutions. Globally, its Urbalis system supports more than 190 metro lines across 32 countries, including dozens of fully driverless networks—setting a proven standard for mass-transit performance, safety, and automation.

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