Alstom has announced the installation of its Urbalis Flo communications-based train control (CBTC) system on the Melbourne Metro Tunnel, which entered service on November 30. This marks the first deployment of a high-capacity CBTC system on existing infrastructure in Australia. The technology will reduce intervals between trains and accommodate several thousand additional passengers each week.
The group also supplied the "Sunshine" control center technology and platform screen doors for the stations—a first for Melbourne—enhancing both passenger safety and traffic flow. As a member of the Rail Network Alliance, Alstom conducted over 4,000 hours and 70,000 kilometers of testing before the system went live.
Pascal Dupond, Managing Director of Alstom Australia and New Zealand, emphasized that "the installed system is specifically designed for Melbourne's rail network, on existing infrastructure, which is a first in Australia."
This commissioning marks the culmination of an international project launched in 2017 and positions Alstom as the only supplier to have deployed urban CBTC technology in the country.
