Alstom has secured a contract with the city of Cluj-Napoca in the Transylvania region of Romania to construct a new metro line in the city.

The company has formed a consortium with civil works companies Gulermak and Arcada to construct Line 1 of the Metro in a state-of-the-art €1.8 billion turnkey project, with Alstom having a €400 million share in the project.

Line 1 will be 21 kilometres long with 19 underground stations, and construction is due to take eight years.

Alstom will provide the system integration, signalling, and telecommunications, power supply and track work, platform doors, security and control centre, and also implement proven cybersecurity throughout the system.

The line’s first section totalling just over 9 kilometres with nine stations is due to be completed in four years, and will incorporate an above-ground depot. Finance is to be provided by Romania’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

For the first time in Romania, the system will incorporate communications-based train control (CBTC) supporting the highest grade of automation 4 (GoA4), using Alstom’s proven, high-capacity CBTC signalling solution Urbalis.

Once the line is in operation it will be Romania’s first fully automated metro line. Alstom’s turnkey metro system will feature an integrated control centre, and Urbalis CBTC technology will support the system’s driverless operation and high-capacity service at 90-second intervals.

A state-of-the-art cybersecurity platform will bring frequent, reliable and energy-efficient operation to the west-east connection and greatly improve green mobility across the city.

Alstom has been in Romania for almost 30 years, with a state-of-the-art digital rail control system, completion of infrastructure and electrification projects, and metro and mainline rolling stock.

It is also contracted to carry out the long-term maintenance of Bucharest’s metro fleet.

Alstom’s experience with CBTC is supported by its urban signalling solutions in service on 145 lines worldwide., including Madrid, Milan, Lyon, Lausanne, Paris, and Amsterdam. It is currently being installed on Line 5 of the Bucharest Metro.

Gian Luca Erbacci, President of Alstom Europe Region, said “I am extremely proud that Alstom will take part in the construction of the Cluj-Napoca Metro. It is another milestone in Alstom’s long-standing presence and expertise in Romania. This is a very ambitious and innovative infrastructure project for the country.

“Cluj-Napoca Metro is one of the biggest turnkey projects in Europe, covering a solid portfolio of signalling and infrastructure solutions that showcase Alstom’s leadership in sustainable urban mobility.

“Furthermore it provides an exciting opportunity to innovate in the Romanian market with the driverless metro – our international track record gives us the unique expertise needed for such a pioneering project.”