Finch West LRT enters service with Hitachi Rail's signalling technology
Toronto's first modern light rail transit system enters service with signalling technology developed in Toronto, delivering more frequent trains and a reliable service for transit riders.
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The new LRT will serve more than 51,000 passengers each weekday across the busy corridor with trains every six and a half minutes during rush hours.
The Finch West LRT entered service on December 7th after successfully completing its 30-day Revenue Service Demonstration in a double milestone for Toronto. As well as being the city's first modern light rail transit (LRT) line, the trains are controlled by Hitachi Rail's cutting-edge SelTrac™ Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling technology, developed in Toronto. This world-leading signalling technology controls the train's speed, spacing and provides a reliable journey on Toronto's newest transit line.
The 10.3 kilometre, 18-stop Finch West LRT will bring more than 230,000 people within walking distance of fast and reliable transit in northwest Toronto. More than 51,000 passengers are expected to take the train each weekday, with better connections into the regional transit network, and reduced journey times for people in a part of the city previously underserved by transit.
Trains will be able to safely run closer together because Hitachi Rail's SelTrac™ CBTC signalling technology providing real-time tracking of vehicles' positions and speeds. This means Finch West LRT passengers will experience a much smoother journey as the technology allows for controlled acceleration and deceleration of the trains between stops, which also reduces wear and tear on the vehicles and track.
Reliability on the line will be enhanced through the built in intelligence and real-time communication with the control centers. The system is also equipped with automatic train protection (ATP) to prevent collisions and speeding, and emergency braking and fail-safe mechanisms are built into the trains.
The new system also requires much less trackside infrastructure and cables. It has modular equipment that can be swapped out in minutes, making maintenance and upgrades much less disruptive and more cost effective. This modular system reduces future maintenance costs and significantly cuts the need for future line closures for signals work and the associated disruption for transit users. Hitachi Rail's signalling system was chosen by Mosaic Transit Group, a private sector joint venture selected to deliver the line and maintain it over a 30-year period.
The CBTC technology developed and deployed from Toronto has become the solution of choice for complex urban rail systems around the world. Hitachi Rail's SelTrac™ system controls some of the world's busiest and most complex rail systems, in London, Paris, New York, Singapore, Dubai, and now Toronto. Vancouver's SkyTrain is one of the world's most reliable transit systems and has used technology developed from Toronto for all of its 40-year history.
Hitachi Rail has also embarked on the development of the next-generation CBTC technology, SelTrac™ (G9) with a major C$100 million investment for research and development in Toronto. This represents the next leap in rail technology and will integrate artificial intelligence, 5G communications, edge and cloud computing. It will offer transit operators worldwide lower costs, maximized capacity, reduced emissions, and enhanced passenger experiences.
"We have been developing cutting-edge rail technology out of Toronto for 50 years, now the choice for leading transit systems around the world," said Ziad Rizk, Managing Director, Hitachi Rail. "Our first SelTrac™ deployment was on Scarborough's Line 3 in 1985, and now 40 years later, Line 6 Finch West is entering service with our made-in-Canada technology. We look forward to Toronto transit users experiencing the benefits of our technology with faster, more reliable, more frequent, and more comfortable journeys. I congratulate everyone involved for reaching this milestone."
Hitachi Rail developed and delivered the Finch West LRT signalling technology in Toronto at the Global CBTC Competence Centre. Hitachi Rail employs over 1,100 employees in the Toronto office and is Canada's only domestic signalling supplier. Within Toronto, Hitachi Rail is also delivering the rolling stock, systems, operations and maintenance for the Ontario Line, Canada's largest new transit project. Across Canada Hitachi Rail is also providing signalling systems for new lines in Ottawa and Mississauga and modernizing the signalling systems on Montreal's Blue Line and Vancouver's SkyTrain.
www.hitachirail.com
