Alstom India inaugurated RAPIDX, a rolling stock and signaling solutions. India’s first semi-high-speed regional rail service was flagged off by the Prime Minister Modi alongside the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath and other government dignitaries. The first phase i.e., the Duhai-Sahibabad section (17 kms) of the Delhi-Meerut corridor was made operational for general public and also marks the debut of the Level 3 ETCS (European Train Control System). It will be equipped with Automatic Train Operation (ATO) over Long Term Evolution (LTE) in the future to further increase in network performance and capacity.
Designed and manufactured in India, the RAPIDX by Alstom’s 360+ engineers & designers ran hundreds of hours of tests to deliver the phase-I commitments to National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC). The company is aiming to also achieve its delivery commitments by 2025.
Olivier Loison, MD, Alstom India, said, “RAPIDX will be a first-of-its-kind experience for Indian commuters for its speed, advanced technology and passenger experience. This project also marks the world premiere of several new signaling technologies which will set new benchmarks in the rail space globally.”
Alstom India is making the world debut of European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 3 signaling, with integrated platform screen doors using LTE communication with the RAPIDX. This signaling system provides high level of safety for trains running at close headway of 180 seconds by virtual block implementation (hybrid level 3) to ensure continuous and safe separation and eliminates accidents due to human error. This service also comes with Automatic Train Protection (ATP), Traffic Management System (TMS), Platform Screen Door (PSD) sub-systems using Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication between track side and train.
Designed at Alstom’s Hyderabad engineering center and manufactured at Savli (Gujarat), the propulsion systems and electricals are manufactured at the company’s factory in Maneja (Gujarat).
Alstom designed the train inspired by Delhi’s iconic monument, the Lotus Temple, and unveiled it in September 2020.