KUALA LUMPUR: Prasarana Malaysia Bhd has roped in French multinational company Thales Group to provide an integrated control centre (ICC) for its train operation.
Thales' technology will allow Prasarana to manage Kelana Jaya, Sri Petaling, Ampang and Monorail lines from a new single ICC for a combined total of around 100 trains and 100 kilometres (km) of track.
Thales is a global leader in advanced technologies, investing in digital and "deep tech" innovations to build a confident future crucial for the development of societies.
Thales Malaysia Sdn Bhd country director François-Xavier Boutes said the project would be an important milestone in the way Prasarana operates its lines.
Boutes said as a long-term strategic partner to Prasarana, the company was proud to share its vision of operational excellence with the ICC.
"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," he said.
According to Thales, Prasarana would rely on Thales to integrate its signalling supervision and control systems, along with Network Management and backup systems, into the new Kuala Lumpur 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 ICC.
At the same time, Thales said network management and backup solutions would 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," it said.
Thales said the project would 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.
"Engineers from Thales Malaysia 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," it added.