The project marks the first time that Thales has fitted the ETCS On-Board System in the UK. Credit: Thales.

French company Thales has completed the retrofitting of a modern European Train Control System (ETCS) on three of Porterbrook’s Class 43 high speed train vehicles, as part of the UK Digital Railway Programme.

Designed to be in-line with the latest UNISIG baseline (B3R2), the ETCS in-cab signalling technology will help improve performance, stated Thales.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

It is also expected to minimise delays besides offering more safety and lowering expenses by removing trackside signalling.

Thales stated that ‘the project marks the first time that the firm has fitted the ETCS On-Board System in the UK’.

The company secured the retrofitting contract from Porterbrook in 2018.

The units are being prepared for full testing following successful level two testing at Network Rail’s Melton Rail Innovation & Development Centre over the last two weeks.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

It will help reach ‘Approval to Place Into Service’ by the end of this year.

Thales onboard portfolio head Mark Newill said: “This milestone proves Thales’s capability to modify existing cabs with the new system so they can be ETCS-compatible.

“The multiple stakeholders involved all adopted a collaborative approach to get to the point where we can trial the system on an operational track.”

Last month, Thales supported the delivery of Tanta, Sedfa, and Al Ousayrat stations for the Egyptian National Railways (ENR).

These stations are within the rail corridor, spanning from Alexandria to Aswan through Cairo.