Alstom and its JVs in China, SATEE and CASCO, have been awarded two contracts by Chengdu Railway Corp. Ltd. to supply traction systems for 200 metro cars and CBTC signalling system for the entire line of Chengdu metro line 9 phase one, the city’s first driverless metro line. Two contracts are worth approximately €64 million ($77.06 million) in total. The line is expected to start revenue service by the end of 2020.
When it opens, Chengdu Line 9 phase one will be about 22km long and have 11 stations. It will connect the city’s CBD area in the southwest with city’s West Railway station in the northwest.
Alstom will be supplying its OptONIX metro traction system, specifically designed and developed for the Chinese market. All traction systems will be manufactured jointly by Alstom’s joint ventures (JVs) Shanghai Alstom Transport Electrical Equipment Co. Ltds (SATEE) and Chengdu Alstom Transport Electrical Equipment Co. Ltd. (CATEE), with support from Xi’an Alstom Yongji Electric Equipment Co. and two Alstom sites in Europe.
Alstom together with CASCO will equip Chengdu Line 9 with its Urbalis signalling system. It is a service proven solution that has been ordered by 54 metro lines in China, 32 of which have started revenue services. CASCO is in charge of the whole life-cycle management of the solution in China.
“We are very pleased to win these two contracts supporting Chengdu to build its first driverless metro line in the city. With its international service proven references in driverless metro and its successful execution of driverless metro lines in Beijing and Shanghai, Alstom and its joint ventures are confident delivering these two projects in high level of excellence” said Ling Fang, managing director of China & East Asia, Alstom.
Chengdu is one of the most important markets for Alstom in China. So far, Alstom has won contracts supplying traction systems for 1252 metro cars of 3 metro lines, and CASCO has won signalling system contracts for 2 metro lines in Chengdu. At the end of 2015, Alstom brought its world advanced Citadis tramway technology to Chengdu and build Chengdu Rong No. 2 tramway line in partnership with CRC and a local company. Besides technology, Alstom supplies core components, including traction systems and bogies, and CASCO supplies signaling systems for this line, which will start revenue service in 2018.
