Alstom wins contract to deliver high-capacity driverless signalling system for Taichung Blue Line metro in Taiwan
Alstom will supply its Urbalis CBTC system, enabling driverless operations for Taichung’s second metro line.
www.alstom.com
Alstom, a global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, has been awarded a contract worth €159 million[1] to provide high-capacity driverless signalling system for the upcoming Taichung Blue Line metro (MRT), a milestone project set to transform public transport across the city and beyond.
Alstom is part of a strategic international consortium chosen by the Rapid Transit System Bureau of Taichung City Government to deliver a complete metro system for what will become Taichung's second fully-fledged MRT line, working with Singapore Technologies Engineering (STE), CTCI and Hyundai Rotem Company.
As the signalling consortium partner, Alstom will provide its Urbalis CBTC[1] system, the same successful platform already in operation on Taichung's Green Line. The system will enable Blue Line trains to operate more frequently and precisely, even at peak times, with shorter waiting times. It will help to absorb the rising ridership as the city continues to expand. The system maximises network capacity by allowing shorter headways, down to 90 seconds, which increases the frequency of trains and reduces commute time.
Spanning 24.8 kilometres and comprising 20 stations, the Taichung Blue Line will link Taichung Port in the west with Taiwan Railway's Taichung Station in the east, thereby creating a major connection between the present Green Line and the future Orange Line. Supporting the Blue Line project with Alstom’s technology contributes to fulfilling the long-term goal of the government to create an integrated, multimodal transit system for one of Taiwan's fastest-expanding metropolitan areas.
Toby Tiberghien, Managing Director of Alstom, East Asia, said: “Following the success of the Green Line, which began revenue service in 2021, we are honoured to continue our journey in Taichung with the new Blue Line. Our Urbalis solution will deliver an efficient and reliable driverless signalling system through a high-quality solution and service excellence, supporting our commitment to build a better connected future for the city.”
With over 40 years of active presence in Taiwan, Alstom has delivered signalling systems to the Taipei Metro line and continues to play a leading role in contributing to Taiwan’s future of public transport, from automated metros to next-generation trams. Today, in addition to Taichung’s Green Line signalling system in revenue service, Alstom also supplies the Urbalis Forward signalling solution in Taiwan for Taipei Wanda Phase 1, Phase 2 and Taipei Circular Line Phase 2 lines in construction, as well as 35 Metropolis metro trainsets for the Wanda-Zhonghe-Shulin Line.
With over 30 years of expertise in CBTC and the successful equipping of over 190 metro lines across 32 countries, Alstom stands as a formidable leader in the mass transit market. Our advanced Urbalis and Onvia technology positions us at the forefront of automation solutions for both urban and mainline rail systems.
ALSTOM™, Metropolis™, Urbalis™, Urbalis Forward™ and Onvia ™ are protected trademarks of the Alstom Group.
[1] Communication Based Train Control
www.alstom.com
