Thales has been selected by Mosaic Transit Group to provide the signalling system for the Finch West LRT, with its SelTrac™ Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) solution. Mosaic Transit Group was the consortium selected by Metrolinx to design, build, finance and maintain the new light rail transit line in northwest Toronto, which will be operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC).
The Finch West LRT will provide brand new transit access to the historically underserved northwest area of Toronto, which will connect to the current subway Line 1 Yonge-University. It will make commuting to work and school much faster and easier for northwest Toronto residents and have the added advantages of providing an economic boost and social benefit to the area. The new 11-km (6.84-mile) line will have 18 stops between Humber College and the Finch West subway station.
The Greater Toronto Area has a growing population and is facing significant traffic and transit congestion; the Finch West LRT is how Metrolinx and the Province of Ontario are expanding the public transit system to address these challenges to make life faster, better and safer for GTA residents and their families.
“The Finch West LRT project allows Thales to be a big part of a world class city’s expansion for the better. We are putting to work our local, made-in-Ontario SelTrac™ CBTC technology as a key part of this project that will bring long-awaited transit service to northwest Toronto,” – Dominique Gaiardo, Vice President and Managing Director for Thales’ urban rail signalling business.
Thales brings a wealth of global expertise and experience on several types of urban rail projects, including being the signalling provider on the new Ottawa LRT Confederation Line. Thales’ experience and proven track record of success with LRVs means that there is a much lower integration risk when these systems are installed and put into service and operation.
Thales’ Toronto office has over 1,200 employees, including more than 900 engineers and 30,000-square-feet of simulation lab space for software testing. Its made-in-Ontario SelTrac™ signalling solution was the first CBTC system in the world and was implemented in the 1980s on the Scarborough RT and Vancouver SkyTrain projects.
The Finch West LRT project is owned Metrolinx and will be operated by the TTC. The project is slated for completion and revenue service in 2023 and includes a 30-year maintenance service contract that will be performed by Mosaic Transit Group.
