METROPOLITAN Area Transport, Helsinki City Transport, and operator Länsimetro have awarded CAF a contract to upgrade signalling on the Helsinki metro, including the installation of CBTC, retrofitting onboard equipment to the fleet of 25 M300 trains previously supplied by CAF, and a new control centre. CAF says that the contract is worth over €60m.
CAF will supply its Optio CBTC system, which will enable operation at Grade of Automation 2 (GoA2) with a driver present in the cab to control train doors and safety functions. Unattended operation at GoA3 will be possible at the end of the line to automatically reverse the train.
As well as improving reliability by replacing the existing signalling equipment, the project will enable service frequencies to be increased in order to meet the rise in demand that is forecast for the coming years. Under a phased installation programme, the new signalling system is scheduled to enter service by the end of 2029.
The Helsinki metro has two lines with a total length of 43km, serving 30 stations and carrying over 78 million passengers a year.
