French transport firm opens $10 million regional centre in Changi

The newly opened centre in Changi will focus on research and development of integrated rail signalling and control and communications systems. Additionally, Jean-Noel Stock, Chief Executive of Thales Solutions Asia told The Straits Times, the facility will also allow his firm to customise and tailor the systems to the specific requirements of rail operators.

Thales is currently working with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and rail operator SMRT to upgrade the signalling system on the aging North-South and East-West Lines at a cost of $195 million. The projects will be completed in phases from 2016 to 2018, and will reduce the frequency between trains from 120 seconds to 100 seconds. Also, the French firm will supply the signalling system for the upcoming Tuas West Extension.

Speaking at the event, Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew said he looked forward to the timely completion of the resignalling projects and went on to add, "I hope that the work of the centre will be able to further improve the performance of our rail systems and add even greater value to our rail projects."

Trials for the new signalling system will begin from next April after installation of equipment for proof-of-concept tests betweenTanah Merah and Changi Airport stations are complete. The tests will run after service hours from April till December 2014.

Thales Vice President for Security and Transportation, Ian Woodroofe, told the local paper the new system will be fully installed and tested on the North-South Line by October 2015 and the East-West Line by May 2017 - after which the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will conduct its own tests.

In addition to the resignalling projects, Thales has supplied other transportation systems for rail lines here, as well as defence systems for the Singapore Armed Forces and Air Traffic Management systems for the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore.