Telecom Lead Europe: Alcatel-Lucent will provide communications system to Alstom under the consortium Albali to deploy on a new high-speed railway line between the busy Spanish cities of Albacete and Alicante.
Albacete is a key industrial and educational center in south-eastern Spain, while Alicante is a popular university town and tourist resort. The 167km line between the cities will open up opportunities for commuters, businesses and holiday travelers alike and is part of a larger project in Spain to connect major cities by high-speed railway services.
For the Albacete-Alicante project, Alcatel-Lucent will install a fixed-line communications system based on SDH and Internet Protocol/Multiprotocol Label Switching (IP/MPLS) technology. This will enable secure delivery of remote signaling and traffic control information, as well as video and data for surveillance, security and passenger information systems.
Moreover, the system will enhance communications along the line between the trains, stations and control centers, ensuring operational efficiency and passenger safety on the new high-speed trains being put into operation.
“Alcatel-Lucent is a major supplier for communications systems used on high-speed railway lines in Spain and across the globe. The development of new rail networks provides a sustainable alternative to other modes of transport and promotes economic growth. As train speeds increase, so does the need for more secure and reliable communications and we are pleased to be able to help Adif ensure the safety of all passengers on this important new line,” said Enrique Munoz, Strategy Industries Director Spain and Portugal, Alcatel-Lucent.
The Albacete-Alicante link is part of a Spanish national high-speed rail project to advance the use of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS), a Europe-wide standard which uses GSM for Railways (GSM-R) technology for traffic control and command systems, enhancing interoperability between rail systems across the continent in the process.
As a part of this project, Alcatel-Lucent has already provided communications systems for a rail link between Madrid and Valencia, which began operating in December 2010.
