Crossrail starts tender process for signalling system

Crossrail today announced that a contract notice has been placed in the Official Journal of the European Union seeking expressions of interest for the central section signalling system. The value of the contract is in the region of £75m.

Crossrail will operate a high-frequency metro service of up to 24 trains per hour during the peak between Whitechapel and Paddington through new-tunnels under central London. Construction of the new tunnels will get underway in spring 2012 when the first tunnel boring machine is launched from Royal Oak.

The new signalling system will incorporate Automatic Train Operation to support the delivery of a reliable, high-frequency metro service and must also be capable of enhancement to 30 trains per hour through the central section at a later date.

Crossrail Programme Director Andy Mitchell said: “Following the award of the remaining tunnelling contracts and the recently announced rolling stock shortlist we now need to turn our attention to procurement of the central section signalling system that will enable the operation of Crossrail services through central London. Crossrail’s preference is to adopt a Communications Based Train Control signalling system as it is technically and operationally proven and is successfully used by many metro systems around the world.”

Crossrail is currently preparing the technical specification for the central section signalling system. The Invitation to Tender will be issued in late 2011.