Malaysia selects Thales to provide Kuala Lumpur with an integrated transit control centre

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Urban Transport News): Prasarana Malaysia Berhad, one of Malaysia’s largest transport operators has selected Thales to integrate its signalling supervision and control systems, which manage SelTrac CBTC and AlTrac ETCS L1 platforms, along with Network Management and backup systems, into the new Kuala Lumpur Integrated Control Centre (ICC).

Once completed, Prasarana will be able to operate all of its existing lines - the KL Monorail, Kelana Jaya, Ampang and Sri Petaling lines - from a single Integrated Control Centre. At the same time, Network Management and backup solutions will be integrated to ensure seamless end-to-end management of the signalling assets across different locations. The integrated rail operation will allow Kuala Lumpur commuters to enjoy service with a quick response time in case of system failures or incidents affecting rail operation. The new ICC will be located at Taman Ikan Emas.

The project will also include modifications in three existing Operational Control Centres to be used as backup centres, thereby ensuring a very high level of operational redundancy and system availability.

“This prestigious project will be an important milestone in the way Prasarana operates its lines. As a long-term strategic partner to Prasarana, we are proud to share their vision of operational excellence with the creation of this Integrated Control Centre. We look forward to delivering this project which will bring stronger synergies between Prasarana and Rapid Rail and ultimately, enhance the passenger experience for commuters in Kuala Lumpur," said François-Xavier Boutes, Country Director, Thales Malaysia.

"This is an important project for Thales to demonstrate its capabilities to integrate multi-signalling platforms as part of its digital strategy. It is another success story in the 30+ years of the Thales-Kuala Lumpur relationship,”commented Alcino De Sousa, Vice President & Managing Director, Thales Urban Rail Signalling.

This project is another testimonial of Thales long-term commitment in the development of local competencies in areas in high demand in Malaysia and in global markets. Engineers from Thales Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. will drive and manage the project, integrating solutions from worldwide Thales teams located in Canada, Portugal and Singapore. Further, this project will be the first of its kind where Thales will involve a significant pool of young graduates under the Malaysia government’s Protégé program, who will be undergoing training and inserted in real projects for an easier insertion in the marketplace.

The project is expected to be delivered by April 2023.

Thales has been actively involved in Malaysia’s transport sector since 1998 when the Kelana Jaya LRT Line commenced operations with Thales’ SelTrac™ CBTC system. Over the years, Thales has upgraded Kuala Lumpur’s Monorail with a turnkey signalling solution as well as extended CBTC signalling on the Kelana Jaya and Ampang LRT lines. As part of its commitment to strengthening local rail expertise in Malaysia, Thales also established a Rail Centre of Excellence in Batu Gajah with the support of the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT), to provide training and transfer-of-technology to the next generation of railway engineers.