In a mega boost for the 82-km-long Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transport System (RRTS), the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) has awarded the contract worth Rs 910 crore to design, supply and install the signalling, train and telecommunication system to French railway giant Alstom. The NCRTC is implementing RRTS, a first-of-its-kind semi-high-speed rail line which will reduce the journey time between Delhi and Meerut to just 60 minutes, compared to the current 90-100 minutes, and with a maximum speed of 160 kmph.

“As leaders in digital mobility, we are thrilled to receive this contract and provide India’s first-ever line with the future proof signalling system. Alstom sees huge potential for the technology in the Indian market. We are looking forward to deploying our advanced technologies in a bid to revamp the mainline railway landscape,” said Ling Fang, Senior Vice President of Alstom Asia Pacific. The officials said that Alstom’s scope of work includes design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of Signalling and Train Control, supervision, platform screen doors and telecommunication systems for the corridor.

“This line will be the first in India to adopt the European Train Control System (ETCS) hybrid Level 3 signalling system, which is the core signalling and train control component of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS),” Alstom said in a statement. In October 2020, Alstom became the first company in the world to be fully certified for the latest onboard and trackside ETCS 1 standards. It further said that a key feature of the RRTS is interoperability of all its priority corridors which facilitates seamless commuter movement across the corridors, without the hassle of changing trains for passengers. “ETCS signalling system will not only facilitate interoperability but will also ensure train movement at quick frequencies, thus reducing the waiting time for passengers,” it said. The contract marks a world premiere for the combination of the latest ETCS standard supported by the latest digital Interlocking and Automatic Train Operation (ATO) over Long Term Evolution (LTE) radio.