Hong Kong West Island metro line equipped with Alstom signalling system starts operation

Alstom has successfully delivered the signalling system equipping Hong Kongs MTR¹ West Island metro line which started passenger service on 28 December, 2014. Alstoms cutting-edge signalling solutions boost the development of the Western District of Hong Kong bringing safe and reliable railway experience to passengers.

Hong Kongs West Island line is an extension of the Island line with three new stations which are expected to serve about 230,000 people living and working in the Western District.

Following the contract signed in 2010, Alstom was responsible for the design, manufacture, testing and commissioning of the signalling system, as well as training and performance demonstration. The provided signalling trackside services and equipment include interlocking, Automated Train Control and Integrated Automatic Train Supervision systems to interface with the existing Island line for which Alstom also supplied trains and signalling system in the 80s.

Alstoms service-proven interlocking solution is designed to provide higher network availability and optimised lifecycle cost. The solution used for the West Island line enables more data to be processed, covers much larger geographical areas and works at far higher speed. Together with Alstom Automated Train Control and Integrated Automatic Train Supervision system, the solution is capable of fulfilling the very high reliability and availability requirements of MTR.

We are honoured to contribute to the dynamic development of Hong Kong by providing state-of-art signalling technologies and solutions with excellent interfacing capabilities. The successful operation of the West Island line is an important milestone for Alstoms long-term development in the local market, bringing great confidence in us for the execution of future projects in Hong Kong and Asia, said Dominique Pouliquen, Senior Vice President of Alstom Transport Asia Pacific.Alstom has been present in Hong Kong for nearly 40 years and is a long-term dedicated partner of the citys rail transport development. Since its first metro contract awarded in Hong Kong in 1975,
Alstom has supplied the city with over 1,100 mass transit rail cars, provided infrastructure systems to 2 metro lines and signalling systems to 7 metro lines, such as the West Island line, Kwun Tung Line and South Island Line (East). Alstom was also contracted to refurbish about 350 metro cars for Hong Kongs Kowloon Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC).  

[1] Hong Kongs network operator