Thales Rail Signalling Solutions
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Railway automation technology |
| Predecessor | Alcatel Rail Signalling Solutions |
| Defunct | May 31, 2024 |
| Fate | Divested to Hitachi Rail |
| Successor | Hitachi Rail |
| Headquarters | Paris , France |
Area served | Worldwide (including Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Canada) |
| Products | SelTrac, AlTrac, ComTrac, NetTrac, FieldTrac, RBC, OBU, ETCS, LZB, electronic interlocking solutions, axle counters, point machines, safety systems |
| Owner | Thales Group (until 2024) |
| Parent | Thales Group (until 2024) |
Thales Rail Signalling Solutions functioned as a segment of the Thales Group, specializing in automation technologies for railway systems. The division operated from multiple sites, including its main headquarters in Paris, France; railway business hubs located in Ditzingen and Berlin, Germany; Vienna, Austria; Hengelo, the Netherlands; as well as a mass transit center based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
History
The pioneering development of the moving block signaling technology for rapid transit was carried out by the Urban Transportation Development Corporation, an Ontario-based Crown corporation. This innovation was designed for its Intermediate Capacity Transit System (ICTS). Introduced in 1985, the ICTS system has been deployed on three North American transit lines still operational today:
- SkyTrain in Vancouver, British Columbia – originally installed and now incorporated into the Expo Line
- Scarborough RT in Toronto, Ontario, integrated within the Toronto subway system
- Detroit People Mover in Detroit, Michigan, which began service in 1987
The manufacturing of UTDC's rolling stock was later integrated into Bombardier Transportation, which subsequently transferred the signalling technology ownership to Alcatel-Lucent. In April 2006, Thales Group purchased Alcatel Rail Signalling Solutions, thereby raising Alcatel’s shareholding in Thales to 21.66%.
In August 2021, Thales declared its intent to divest its ground transportation division to Hitachi Rail for €1,660 million. This transaction was finalized on May 31, 2024.
Products
Thales provides an array of rail signalling technologies, among which are:
- SelTrac (a communications-based train control system tailored for mass transit networks)
- AlTrac
- ComTrac
- NetTrac
- FieldTrac
- RBC (Radio Block Controller)
- OBU (OnBoard Unit)
- ETCS
- LZB
Beyond signalling systems, Thales also engineers electronic interlocking solutions, utilizes axle counters as alternatives to traditional track circuits, manufactures various types of point machine equipment, and develops safety systems designed to protect railway personnel.