www.thalesgroup.

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GROUND TRANSPORTATION

SelTrac CBTC communicationsbased train control for urban rail

World-leading

SelTrac CBTC Solutions

HIGH PERFORMANCE SOUND INVESTMENT

SelTrac system solutions readily meet your needs to move more
people more quickly and increase revenue potential.

From fully automated, integrated solutions to upgradeable

solutions and overlay re-signaling techniques to reach beyond
the limitations of conventional fixed-block designs, SelTrac
system solutions readily meet your needs to move more people
more quickly and increase revenue potential.

needing basic Automatic Train Protection (ATP), cab-signalling,

or CBTC-based operations. From simply replacing existing
signalling, to improving the headway performance of an
existing fixed-block system, SelTrac is the convenient and costeffective solution.

Applicable to any type or size of rolling stock and dedicated

guideway, SelTrac system solutions are flexible and adaptable
enabling customers to employ a complete, high-end system
or incrementally upgrade functionality over time, without
disrupting operation. Transit operators retain the value
of their original investment as they expand and grow their
systems. SelTrac can be configured easily to meet the specific
functionality needs of the operation. With built-in flexibility,
SelTrac addresses the diverse requirements of operators

Our premium SelTrac solutions include moving block

technology for unattended/driverless operation. These
systems offer excellent operational flexibility under even the
most demanding of conditions. And, due to built-in computer
redundancy, no additional fallback system is required. To meet
high or increasing capacity situations, SelTrac has proven that
it can deliver headways of under sixty seconds, better than
normally required.

THALES CANADA INC.

The Business Case for SelTrac CBTC

Optimising capital investment
Shorter platforms due to shorter, more frequent trains
MTR West Rail saved 384 million USD for nine
stations
Avoidance of building new tunnels (re-signalling)
San Francisco MUNI doubled their existing tunnel
capacity from 23 to 48 trains per hour with
installation of SelTrac saving 1.3 billion USD
Equipment minimisation
No traditional ancillary equipment required if mixedmode is not part of normal operation
No need for an additional fallback system due
to built-in redundancy
Less equipment
On the track
Due to integration of functions
Ease of expansion
Once SelTrac is installed, headways can be reduced
and system capacity increased with no additional
capital expenditure for the wayside, up to the physical
limits of the guideway and trains
Kuala Lumpur PUTRA, Vancouver SkyTrain and SF
MUNI have increased their fleets without changes
to wayside hardware or software
System expansion is not tied to the initial vehicle
supplier, competitive bid on new vehicles is possible
SelTrac allows for different vehicle types with
different performance and from different suppliers to
operate on the same guideway, without overall
system performance degradation or the need to
update wayside equipment.
Vancouver SkyTrain runs two generations of
vehicles; San Francisco MUNI supports three
vehicle types

Capacity enhancement
Aging metro infrastructures can be modernized
and operational capacity increased with SelTrac:
San Francisco MUNI
London Underground, one of the worlds oldest &
largest metros:
Jubilee (2011): 35 km, 63 trains
Northern (2014): 57 km, 106 trains
Piccadilly (2014): 71 km, 92 trains 20% capacity
improvement due to signaling; Minimum impact to
ongoing revenue operations
Energy Savings
Energy-optimized driving profiles (e.g. coasting,
reduced speeds, and reduced acceleration curves)
can be based on time of day
Schedule synchronization for regenerative power
saving
Hong Kong saves an estimated 2 Million USD per
year in energy due to Automatic Train Operation
Vancouver SkyTrain: Energy consumption per
passenger-kilometer is just less than half the average
of the other systems. (BC Transit Fact Sheet
SkyTrain Performance, October 1991)
Flexible Operations
Automatic Junction Management
Remote diagnostic and centralized fault management
capabilities
Automatic incident management
Bi-directional same-track operation
Schedule recovery

METROS
LIGHT RAPID TRANSIT
APMs

ENHANCED SAFETY GREATER THROUGHPUT SIGNIFICANT COST SAVINGS

S e l Tr a c C B T C S o l u t i o n s

SelTrac is unique!

Choose integrated or overlay architecture

Movement Authority and Interlocking can be integrated within wayside Zone Controllers to reduce equipment and potential
interfacing issues, while allowing faster response times and more tightly controlled movements. However, you might prefer
separated interlockings. Both integrated and overlay architectures can be used together on the same line. Choice between the
two is usually customer/application driven. The technology must be related to real customer value and needs: performance,
adaptation to current/historical signaling operations, safety case
acceptance, maintenance practices and operating
rules. Whichever preference, Thales meets
customer requests for advanced system and
independent subsystem technologies that
improve operations.

SELTRAC SOLUTIONS FOR ANY TRAIN TYPE OR STYLE

Specializing in quality signalling and train control technology, we can apply
our solutions to any rolling stock. SelTrac can run different trains from
different suppliers on the same line.

THALES CANADA INC.

THE COMPLETE INTEGRATED SOLUTION

The fully integrated SelTrac CBTC provides maximum performance in terms of headways, passenger throughput, and
energy conservation.
Integrating the management of the interlocking with the train
location information, as communicated through the CBTC
system, allows faster response times, more tightly controlled
movements, and easier expandability and adaptability.
Interfaces within the Zone Controller are more easily designed
than those between subsystems.
The integrated SelTrac CBTC system knows the position of
each train to a high degree of accuracy. It can control the
behaviour of the train at all times and, in response to changing
conditions, can modify the behaviour to ensure the safety of
the system while offering maximum service. It can adapt its
algorithms to take advantage of individual train behaviour,
and change parameters to ensure optimum use of resources,
such as platform availability and traction power. It can
coordinate train movements with a high degree of precision to
move passengers efficiently through the system.

The Limit of Movement Authority (LMA) setting logic has a

high impact on the end system performance, i.e. managing
the interlocking in an integrated manner. Interlocking and
switch control logic is optimized using the position reports of
communicating trains.
By integrating the system design as a single entity, not as a
collection of individual products, it is possible to more fully
coordinate the interaction between functions, taking advantage
of all information available to the system to optimize system
performance.
The SelTrac integrated design includes:

UTO, DTO and cab-signalling modes

Moving block technology
Automatic performance modifi cation (including speed
and station dwell)
Fully redundant train-to-wayside confi gurations
Data Communication option:
High availability
Automatic route setting
Quick-start reset
Solid-state interlocking and remote point machine control
Automatic coupling/uncoupling (option)

Benefits
Time proven solution
Cost effective; best price to performance ratio
High performance no constraints from external interlocking
Minimum trackside and wayside equipment
Low life-cycle cost
Fully protected bi-directional operation (requiring no additional hardware)
High availability and reliability
Automatic route setting

S e l Tr a c C B T C S o l u T i o n

SelTrac is unique!

Benefits

Upgradeable up to any level of automatic

operation including driverless
Upgrade with no disruption to revenue service
Allows phased operation and minimum time
to service
Allows phased investment towards improved
safety, automation and operation efficiencies
Maintains traditional signaling principles

THE PROGRESSIVE OVERLAY SOLUTION

Existing fi xed-block systems can be upgraded to SelTrac
cost effectively to provide greater reliability and shortened
headways. Installation is performed as an overlay in parallel
with the existing system. Our cut-over strategy allows operators
to phase in the new system with the least amount of disruption.
For those operators specifying an upgradeable solution for
new lines, or to overlay on an existing or a new interlocking
infrastructure, SelTrac offers progressive levels of automation from
Speed and Signal Safeguard (S&SS), to continuous ATP, to ATO.

THALES CANADA INC.

More advanced SelTrac configurations bring additional

functionality and features into play, enabling operators to
significantly enhance performance and service frequency
with shorter headways and automated operation. These
solutions incorporate a moving-block design -- the system is
not dependent on, or restricted by track circuits. The operator
can safely run two trains closer together to improve throughput
(i.e. two trains can occupy the same physical block). This
technology is especially effective in resolving interoperability
and mixed-mode requirements faced by some transit operators.

Speed and Signal Safeguard

The SelTrac SS&S solution vitally supervises speed profi les and
signal adherence and provides all the functions of an intermittent
ATP. It provides an entry-level computer based train protection
mechanism that enhances operational safety by supervising
driver actions. Monitoring and interfacing with conventional
signals, it emergency brakes trains passing red signals and/
or operating at speeds higher than mandated by civil speed
limits. Information is regularly transmitted to the train at specific
locations. This basic SelTrac solution is an ideal overlay
enhancement for existing conventional signalling systems.

When the VOBC detects an over-speed condition, whether

due to signal status or track restrictions, it alerts the driver and
monitors the drivers reaction to the alert. Should the driver fail to
respond properly, the VOBC vitally activates the braking system.

Signal status and permitted speed information is sent through

transponder tags to the Vehicle On-Board Controller (VOBC)
at key locations along the track. The advantage of this concept
is its simple interfacing technique to the existing interlocking. It
can be installed and brought on-line quickly and easily without
complicated tie-ins to the signal circuitry, and operators do not
require new skills to use and benefit from the system.

Determines permitted and actual train speed

Determines travel direction vs. expected
travel direction
Provides compensation for wheel slip/slide
Provides automatic wheel size calibration to maintain
accurate speed and position determination
Allows for travel direction reversal
Provides braking profi le supervision and enforcement
Records events in real time
Can display distance traveled and distance to go

Operating data is fed to a high definition Driver Display Unit,

allowing the driver to confidently monitor train performance
and status. By providing speed and signal information to the
driver in the cab, the system allows minimized headway while
ensuring safety.

Emergency Brake Applied

Emergency
Brake

Cab
Display
VOBC

Tag
Reader
Track Circuit Block
TAG

SID

SelTracs proven ability to operate safely in mixed mode with unequipped

trains makes it ideal for a suburban railway that must share tracks with
mainline operators.

S e l Tr a c C B T C S o l u T i o n S

SelTrac is unique!
Automatic Train Protection
Enhancing SelTrac SS&S capability with continuous ATP
functionality provides the added value of improved headway
while maintaining safe train separation, without depending
on axle counters or track circuits. The system will automatically
generate movement authorities based on the actual locations
of moving obstacles (i.e. trains) and fixed obstacles such
as switch protection signals. It is used in conjunction with
existing interlockings and provides a replacement for
automatic separation signals between the interlockings. It
can operate seamlessly with existing track circuits which
provide an inherent mechanism to operate mixed-mode
traffic (communicating and non-communicating trains).
A display in the cab shows information about the operating
conditions ahead of the train. Information is continuously
transmitted to the train by means of a radio-based Data
Communications System (DCS).
Progressive functionality:
Improves headway with moving-block technology
Provides continuous ATP and cab-signal
Provides high availability
Allows multiple trains per physical track circuit
Allows fully protected bi-directional operation (requiring
no additional hardware)
Reduces track-side equipment
Provides integrated, redundant communication capability
between wayside and train
In this solution, the wayside Zone Controller (ZC) generates
override commands to external interlockings. This includes
signal and route-release overrides. These commands are
based on CBTC train position reports. Thales is offering
external independent electronic interlocking designed to work
efficiently with the SelTrac CBTC using standard IP interface.

Overlay designs facilitate costeffective system cut-over and

deployment, allow mixed-mode
operation, and provide an
easy evolutionary path to higher
level functionality.

THALES CANADA INC.

Automatic Train Operation

The SelTrac solution can include automatic train movement
control offering the driver the opportunity to operate hands off
and thereby improve running performance. From one station
(or predetermined operational stopping point) to the next,
the train will follow the required speeds of the track and the
operating conditions ensuring safe operation. The additional
functionality is considered non-vital, with the continuous ATP
features providing the safety net.
ATO functionality plus...

Provides automatic train movement control functionality

Governs automatic speed control to traffi c and
track conditions
Can provide additional functions such as coordinated
train and platform door control
Driverless or unattended operation (optional)

Going Green
Thales continues to innovate with practical solutions
that bring real benefits to our customers.

Reducing train operation energy costs by more than 15% is an

added benefit Thales provides to its existing and future customers.
To meet this customer need during off-peak or rush-hour
periods, we offer an optional function for our SelTrac System
to minimize traction power demand. We achieve this with
advanced, revenue proven ATS algorithms and new timetable
compiler features to reduce traction effort and consequently
save energy and reduce CO2 emissions, while minimizing
impacts to travel time. The function allows operators to apply
an energy usage model that can predict energy savings and
visually display input choices, enhance vehicle on-board
computer speed controls, limit peak usage, and coordinate
arrivals and departures. The function monitors system behavior
in real-time and continuously re-optimizes train movements even
when system perturbations occur.
In-house, our engineers can model, predict, simulate and
demonstrate energy savings from customer field data, which
is highly valued by our customers.

Fully automated operation and

management (uto/dto)
Moving to Fully Automated Operation (FAO) provides an
excellent means to match train supply to passenger demand
both economically and commercially. It enables operators to
improve the quality of service, reliability and availability of
trains while breaking the constraining link between service
offered and personal management requirements.
For light or heavy rail applying unattended (UTO) or driverless
(DTO) operation for optimal headway, along with a high

degree of safety, SelTrac CBTC is offered with a high level

of automation and functionality all at once, or in progressive,
scalable designs.
SelTracs unique capacity for remote health-status monitoring
and for control of all vehicle systems -- including doors (both
train and platform), couplers and auxiliaries also makes
it an attractive choice. All train control operations are selfsupervising.

Operating
Cost

Availability

Driver

Door Control

Guideway
Intrusion
Detection

FAO

Lower

Higher

Not Required

Included

Included

STO*

Higher

Lower

Required

Not Included

Not Included

*STO: Semi-automated operation -- Driver initiates departure from station

NetTrac MT Central Control

Through our advanced NetTrac MT platform, based on
commercial off-the-shelf PC and LAN technology, the System
Management Center supervises the automatic, cab-signaling
or manual operation of the entire rail fleet. NetTrac MT is
designed to provide automatic control of all train operations
under normal conditions without operator intervention. It
is easy to use and enables operators to handle system
disruptions quickly. Standard features include sophisticated
failure management capabilities, high system availability,
redundancy, complex alarm handling, and data logging.

Assigning and launching a schedule

Monitoring status
Routing trains to a specific track location or station
Assigning trains to a line or run or to shuttle service
Holding trains at specific locations or by-passing platforms
Diverting trains around an impassable area
Changing train velocity
Triggering automatic announcements in stations and
on trains
Interfacing with third-party subsystems
Maintaining and adjusting energy use (Green CBTC)

Workstations display the track layout together with icons

individually identifying all elements under SelTrac control. At a
glance, central controllers monitor the location and schedule
adherence of each train within the system. Icon color changes
alert dispatchers to changes in the status of trains, platforms,
track switches and tracks. Situations requiring urgent attention
trip visual and audible alarm messages. Dispatchers use pulldown command menus, drag-and-drop, and point-and-click
options to perform numerous functions, including:

S e l Tr a c C B T C S OLU T ION

SelTrac technology incorporates open

architecture, system modularity, standard
interfaces and commercial off-the-shelf
data communication components based
on open System network solutions that
facilitate subsystem interchangeability
strategies. Safe train control functionality
is specifically designed to be independent
of the communication subsystem.

SelTrac
Data Communications

While Thaless long-proven legacy loop-based subsystem

still enjoys popularity and continuing application to modern
train operations such as Dubai Metro, our open-standards
radio technology has proven itself as well, with now over 18
applications to date with many more to come. Choice is up
to the customer.
The driving force behind the advancement in applying broadband wireless technology to rail transit has been the need
to move train control to a more sophisticated infrastructure
while maintaining constant communication as trains move
along a track. The implementation of free space wireless
communication incorporates full redundancy through the use
of overlapping radio coverage.

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THALES CANADA INC.

Thaless solution, ComTrac DCS, incorporates high

bandwidth, secure and protected radio communication
technology to deliver the most advanced, most efficient
Automatic Train Control solution available. ComTrac DCS also
supports unsecured network traffic (e.g. for system diagnosis)
through separation of message routing. The technology
follows an open-system philosophy that provides a stable
future migration path, while complying with CENELEC and
AREMA industry standards and protocols.
Benefits of ComTrac DCS
Allows any subsystem to communicate with any
other subsystem
Allows for clear division of ATP and ATO functions
Ease of installation and maintenance
Fast recovery times due to single component failure
detection and replacement
Less trackside equipment
Low susceptibility to vandalism.
Facilitates cutover on resignalling projects
Reduces LCC

SOLUTION EXCELLENCE FROM

THE CBTC SPECIALISTS
Real mass transit solutions begin with people. We
assemble the right teams with the right skills to
address the unique challenges and complexities
of your project. our people listen and respond,
tailoring our proven technology to your special
needs and helping you make the right decisions
now and for the future. With more experience in
advanced communications-based train control
technology than anyone anywhere, your Project
team offers exceptional expertise and integrated
solutions for maximizing capacity, minimizing
cost and enhancing safety in partnership with
your engineering, operations, and maintenance
departments. our support is wide-ranging; our
commitment is long-term.

THALES

ENVIABLE TRACK RECORD

Thales is the leading global supplier in the design, manufacture

and implementation of advanced technology systems for urban
rail mass transit .Continually evolving to meet the changing
needs of operators around the world, SelTrac technology has
provided safe, reliable, revenue-efficient operation for three
decades. SelTrac sets the quality and performance standards
that all others strive to reach.
SelTrac -- the worlds most widely adopted CBTC system
Over 55 projects worldwide
Proven with over 10 million train operating hours
of revenue service
More revenue CBTC km than any other supplier
(over 1500 km)
Selected by over 30 metro, light rapid transit and
automated people mover operators around the world
The latest technology underpinned by core systems
and adapted to meet customer specific operations

Market Firsts
Fully automated CBTC in revenue service
Vancouver SkyTrain (1986)
1st revenue service of free space radio CBTC for
fully automated operation Las Vegas Monorail and
Hong Kong DRL
CBTC UTO of the longest metros in the world
Vancouver SkyTrain and Dubai Red and Green lines
3 lines at once into revenue service Shanghai lines 6,
8 and 9
1st re-signalling to CBTC Docklands Light Rail (1995)
Most challenging re-signalling project San Francisco MUNI
Worlds largest re-signalling project Londons Jubilee,
Northern and Piccadilly lines
Automated depot including driverless coupling/
uncoupling Vancouver SkyTrain

Re-signalling experience Thales has experience on

more than 500 km of urban rail track

S e l Tr a c C B T C S o l u T i o n

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Thales Canada, Transportation Solutions

105 Moatfield Drive Toronto, ON, Canada M3B 0A4
www.thalesgroup.com/canada