The Thales-Maziya consortium has been awarded the R1.87-billion contract to supply a new signalling solution to the Western Cape, covering 250 km of the province’s passenger rail system.

This contract between the consortium and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), with Metrorail as its commuter system operator, included the modernisation of the rail signalling, communications and train management systems, covering 46 train stations over the Western Cape, and formed part of Prasa’s national new rail signalling programme.

Currently, only 23 (14%) of the 162 signalling installations across the national Prasa network had not exceeded their design life. The rest of the installations averaged 35 years in age, noted the agency in a statement.

The scope of the new signalling programme included the replacement of all Prasa signalling installations and the associated civil, perway, electrical and telecommunication works, the construction of the train operation control centres, as well as the installation of optical-fibre cable networks in the Metrorail regions.

This would allow telecommunication links between the various signal relay rooms and the regional train-traffic control centres.
 
Prasa said the programme addressed the current system of unidirectional signalling, which imposed “huge disadvantages on operational flexibility and corridor capacity”. Metrorail currently experienced major delays owing to trains becoming trapped behind failed train sets, which then had to be cleared from the line before normal operations could continue.

Prasa awarded Bombardier Africa Alliance the R1.87-billion KwaZulu-Natal new signalling contract in March 2013. Siemens was awarded the R1.1-billion contract for the Gauteng South new signalling programme.

Transportation systems group Thales said in a statement on Wednesday that a new signalling system in the Western Cape would enable “highly reliable operations and improved passenger services and comfort”.
 
Project work included the construction of a new control centre, which would allow the monitoring and efficient management of all the train operations in the region; the design, supply, installation, test and commissioning of the new electronic interlocking systems and the associated wayside equipment; the design, supply, installation, test and commissioning of new telecommunications and security systems; the upgrade and construction of new technical buildings; and the improvement of the track in some zones, providing better performance and more comfort to passengers.

Thales’ consortium partner Maziya provided the infrastructure, civil works and power-supply expertise.