Australia receives its first ETCS Level 2 signalling system in Sydney

Alstom has delivered and fitted Australia’s first European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 2 signalling system covering suburbs in the south of Sydney.

Australia’s ETCS Level 2 solution, based on Alstom’s Atlas 200 and Smartlock 400 systems, has been tested in New South Wales as a pilot trial part of the Automatic Train Protection Project for the State’s transport authority, Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW). The installation of both the on-board and trackside equipment covers 4 test trains and an area of 11 km between the suburbs of Arncliffe and Oatley.

ETCS Level 2 will enhance safety and improve regional capacity of the rail corridors

The pilot project allows TfNSW and the operator, Sydney Trains, to test the functionalities of the ETCS system which will support the further roll-out across critical sections of Sydney network. It is hoped the deployment of the ETCS technology will enhance safety and improve capacity of the rail corridors.

A team of more than 50 signalling experts based in Sydney and Melbourne worked closely with the European ETCS Centre of Excellence, based in Charleroi, Belgium, to ensure the advanced technology was adapted to the specific needs of the project.

As an additional part of the project, Alstom is also delivering its ETCS Level 1 solution, Atlas 100, to TfNSW for more than 1400 signals and 168 trains to further enhance safety and capacity of the network.