Invensys Rail Dimetronic will cross the Bosphorus

DLH, the Turkish Directorate of Railways, Harbours and Airports Construction, has awarded Invensys Rail Dimetronic a contract to provide railway signalling and control technologies for the Gebze-Halkali Commuter Rail line, known as the CR3 Marmaray Project, the only line in the world to be equipped with both ERTMS and CBTC systems.

Invensys Rail Dimetronic will undertake the project in a joint venture with the Spanish civil construction company OHL, with the overall contract worth approximately €1,000 million. The contract includes the design, supply, tests and commissioning of the FUTUR 1300 Level 1 ERTMS and SIRIUS CBTC trackside equipment; a new signalling system including WESTRACE electronic interlocking; train detection systems (jointless track circuits and axle counters); LED wayside signals; Rail 9000 Centralised Traffic Control (CTC) and the Telecommunication and SCADA systems for the entire project. The contract also includes maintenance for two years with an option to extend it to a further five years.

The state of the art solution provided by Invensys Rail Dimetronic is already proven and includes the ERTMS technology that recently entered service on the new Ankara-Konya High Speed Line in Turkey plus the SIRIUS CBTC system which is currently in operation in Madrid Metro, and being installed in three lines of the Sao Paulo commuter network CPTM.

The first phase of the project, the section under the Istanbul Strait, is scheduled for completion by October, 29, 2013, the 90th Anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkey.

Marmaray: a unique world-class project

The Marmaray Project, a core element of Turkey’s ambitious rail investment plan, includes the design, execution and completion of an upgrading of 63 kilometres of the commuter rail system through the metropolitan areas on both sides of Istanbul Strait plus the construction of a railway tunnel of 14 kilometres under the Bosphorus.

This significant infrastructure project will provide a seamless high-capacity commuter rail system, an inter-city passenger service and a freight link between Europe and Asia. The Gezbe-Halkali Section is also part of the Ankara-Istanbul Corridor and will serve the transport needs for not only the city of Istanbul and its hinterland, but also for the whole of Turkey.

In terms of infrastructure, the current double track network will be replaced by a two-way triple track international gauge system. The new third track will be equiped with ERTMS Level 1 system and will be used for operating Main Line Intercity trains. The double track will be used for Mass Transit Commuter Trains and will be equipped with CBTC system for passenger service and with ERTMS Level 1 for freight transportation.

The state of the art technical solution offered by Invensys Rail Dimetronic is all proven technology and includes the solution that has been recently installed in the new Ankara-Konya High Speed Line plus the SIRIUS CBTC system currently in operation in Madrid Metro, also being installed now in three of the Sao Paulo commuter lines.

The first phase of the project, the section under the Strait, will be completed by October, 29, 2013, matching the 90th Anniversary of the Turkish Republic.

Invensys Rail Dimetronic’s experience in Turkey

Invensys Rail Dimetronic entered the railway Turkish market in 2008 after the awarding of the contract for the supply and installation of FUTUR 1300 Level 1 ERTMS and signalling systems in the High Speed Line between Ankara and Konya. In January 2010, TCDD trusted again the company for the installation of its FUTUR 2500 Level 2 ERTMS system in the same High Speed Line to Konya, which will be the first installation of a Level 2 system in Turkey.

On August 2011, the Prime Minister of Turkey, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, inaugurated the 212 Km of line between Ankara and Konya, in a trip cruising at 250 Km/h to crush the journey time to one and a half hours.

This new award in a project as challenging as Marmaray is a sample of the increasing presence of the company in the country and yet another proof of the commitment of Invensys to Turkey.

Commenting on the award, Jesús Guzmán, CEO of Invensys Rail Dimetronic, stated “We are delighted to be given the opportunity to work on such an important and prestigious project. Efficient transport systems are the lifeblood of modern cities and when complete, this project will not only significantly improve the day to day journeys of millions of people but also play a pivotal role in the economic development of the city of Istanbul and the Republic of Turkey in general”.