Alstom's ETCS For India

On 20 January 2021, Alstom announced it has won a contract worth 106 million EUR from the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) to design, supply and install the signalling, train control and telecommunication system (Package 24) of the 82 km Delhi - Ghaziabad - Meerut RRTS (Regional Rapid Transit System) corridor.

NCRTC is a joint venture between the Government of India and States of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. It is implementing RRTS, a first 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 km/h.

This line will be the first in India to adopt the ETCS hybrid Level 3 ATP. Alstom’s scope of work includes design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of signalling & train control, supervision, platform screen doors and telecommunication systems for the corridor. A key feature of the RRTS is interoperability.

ETCS will not only facilitate interoperability but will also ensure train movement at quick frequencies, thus reducing the waiting time for passengers. 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.