Alstom to provide cutting-edge signalling system to Metro Do Porto yellow line extension

Alstom, global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, has been awarded with Metro do Porto a contract to supply the signalling, safety and control systems for Metro Porto yellow line extension. Alstom will develop and equip the new line with signalling including a state-of-the-art interlocking, which will enable vehicles’ real time monitoring. The engineering, installation and commissioning of the system will be developed at Alstom's new site in Maia, Porto district.

The expansion of the yellow line runs from Santo Ovídio to Vila d'Este, in the south area of Porto, adding three new stations to the network, including an underground. The new 3,1 km route includes 500 metres of viaduct and 1,000 metres of tunnel. It is scheduled to come into service in the first half of 2024, representing a major improvement for urban mobility in the southern area of Porto.

"It is a great honour for Alstom to partner again with Metro do Porto, to improve mobility for citizens and tourists in Porto. We will develop this project from our new engineering facilities in Maia, where we lead signalling projects and digital mobility technologies for the Portuguese and international market,” declared David Torres, Alstom in Portugal Managing Director. “This project is a proof of our commitment to promote sustainable mobility in Portugal and from Portugal.”

Metro do Porto is the light rail system of the city of Porto. It currently includes approximately 78 km of track and six lines, transporting about 70 million passengers per year. Alstom supplied 102 trains currently running on the network as well as the onboard signalling systems. Today, Alstom continues to accompany Metro do Porto in its growth process and will also provide the on-board ATP (Automatic Train Protection) system, which will be installed on the 18 trains that will be added to the fleet.

Alstom has been present in Portugal for over 30 years and, currently, two out of three trains running in Portugal have been manufactured by Alstom or with Alstom technology, including high-speed, regional, metro and tram trains. In the digital sphere, more than 1,500 km of the Portuguese rail network and more than 500 on-board units are managed by Alstom ATP system, a signalling solution developed specifically for the Portuguese market. In terms of urban mobility, Alstom oversaw the signalling system for Metro do Porto and the 102 trains that are currently serving this network, also providing the ATP installed on board the 18 trains recently acquired by this operator.

A strong leader in the mass transit market with over 30 years’ expertise in communications-based train control (CBTC) and over 160 metro lines equipped in over 25 countries.