Alstom has marked a major milestone in Australian rail transport with the delivery of Melbourne’s first communications-based train control (CBTC) system on an existing network, as the city’s Metro Tunnel Project officially opens for service. The new system is expected to increase weekly passenger trips and reduce the time between trains, allowing the network to run more services more efficiently.

The Metro Tunnel represents the largest transformation of Melbourne’s railway since the City Loop opened over 40 years ago, more than doubling the size of the city’s underground network. The project introduces five new stations and integrates Alstom’s CBTC technology with conventional signalling, ensuring seamless operation across the network. Driver-onboard Automatic Train Operation and custom-built Platform Screen Doors are key features, enabling autonomous operation and precise train movements.

Prior to opening, Alstom and the Rail Network Alliance conducted more than 4,000 hours and 70,000 kilometres of dynamic testing to fine-tune performance. The improvements include reduced headway between trains, higher stopping accuracy at stations, optimized train speed profiles, and shorter turn-back times.

The project brought together Alstom teams from Australia, Thailand, USA, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Poland, UK, India, Canada, and Spain since the contract was signed in 2017. With Melbourne now joining Sydney and Perth in using high-capacity CBTC signalling, Alstom remains the only provider to have delivered urban CBTC technology in Australia. Globally, its Urbalis signalling system operates on over 190 metro lines across 32 countries, including 74 fully driverless lines.

Pascal Dupond, Managing Director of Alstom Australia and New Zealand, said:

“The system that we have installed is bespoke for Melbourne’s rail network operating in a brownfield environment which is an Australian first. If ever an Australian signalling project stood for the coming together of global expertise with local network knowledge, the Metro Tunnel Project is it. We are proud of the role that we have played on a truly city shaping project.”

Image: Alstom