- Source: SelTrac
SelTrac is a digital railway signalling technology used to automatically control the movements of rail vehicles. It was the first fully automatic moving-block signalling system to be commercially implemented.
SelTrac was originally developed in the 1970s by Standard Elektrik Lorenz (the "SEL" in the name) of Germany for the Krauss-Maffei Transurban, an automated guideway transit system proposed for the GO-Urban network in the Greater Toronto Area in Canada. Although the GO-Urban project failed, the Transurban efforts were taken over by an Ontario consortium led by the Urban Transportation Development Corporation (UTDC), and adapted to become its Intermediate Capacity Transit System (ICTS). This technology was first used on the SkyTrain network in Vancouver, British Columbia and the Scarborough RT in Toronto, Ontario.
SelTrac was primarily sold and developed by Alcatel, through a subsidiary. SelTrac was then sold by Thales from their Canadian unit (, after it purchased many of Alcatel's non-telephony assets.
On May 31, 2024, Hitachi Rail completed the acquisition of Thales' Ground Transportation Systems (GTS) business, making SelTrac a product of Hitachi.
Description
SelTrac uses the twisted-loop concept developed by Siemens in the 1950s.
Data communication is provided with either low frequency inductive loop or a high bandwidth, open-standards wireless system incorporating spread-spectrum radio technology.
Installations
SelTrac is installed in many railways around the world, including the following:
Ankara Metro Line M1 1997 SelTrac CBTC DTO
Beijing Subway Line 4 2009 SelTrac CBTC/R (radio) ATO with Attendant
Busan–Gimhae Light Rail Transit 2011 SelTrac CBTC/R UTO
Detroit People Mover 1987 SelTrac CBTC UTO
Dubai Metro – Red and Green Lines 2009/2011 SelTrac CBTC UTO
Guangzhou Metro
Line 3 2009/10 SelTrac CBTC DTO
Line 9 2017 SelTrac CBTC DTO
Line 14 2017 SelTrac CBTC DTO
Line 21 2017 SelTrac CBTC DTO
Hong Kong International Airport APM 2014/15 SelTrac CBTC/R UTO
Hong Kong MTR
Tuen Ma line 2003 SelTrac CBTC DTO
West Rail line 2003
Ma On Shan line 2004
Kowloon Southern Link 2009
Tuen Ma line (Phase 1) 2020
Tuen Ma line (full line) 2021
Disneyland Resort line 2005 SelTrac CBTC/R UTO
Hyderabad Metro Rail (Lines 1, 2, 3) 2017 SelTrac CBTC/R STO
Incheon Subway Line 2 2014 SelTrac CBTC/R UTO
Istanbul Metro M4 Kadikoy-Kartal Line 2012 SelTrac CBTC STO
Jacksonville Skyway ASE 1998 SelTrac CBTC UTO
John F. Kennedy International Airport AirTrain JFK APM 2003 SelTrac CBTC UTO
Kuala Lumpur Rapid Rail
Kelana Jaya Line 1998/2014 SelTrac CBTC UTO
Ampang Line 2015 SelTrac CBTC/R DTO/UTO
Las Vegas Monorail 2004 SelTrac CBTC/R UTO
London Docklands Light Railway 1995 SelTrac CBTC DTO
Lewisham Extension 1999
London City Airport Extension 2005
Woolwich Arsenal Extension 2009
Stratford Extension 2011
London Underground
Jubilee line 2011 SelTrac TBTC STO
Northern line 2014 SelTrac TBTC STO
Metropolitan, District, Circle, Hammersmith & City 2020 SelTrac CBTC/R STO
Mecca Metro 2011 SelTrac CBTC UTO
Newark Liberty International Airport AirTrain Newark 1996/2001 SelTrac CBTC UTO
New York City Subway
IRT Flushing Line 2016 SelTrac CBTC/R STO
Ottawa O-Train Confederation Line 2018 SelTrac CBTC/R STO
Paris Metro Line 13 – Ouragan 2012 SelTrac CBTC/R DTO
SFMTA Muni Metro (Market Street subway) 1997 SelTrac CBTC DTO
Seoul Metropolitan Subway Shinbundang Line 2011 SelTrac CBTC/R UTO
Shanghai Metro
Line 6 2011 SelTrac CBTC/R STO
Line 8 2011 SelTrac CBTC/R STO
Line 9 2011 SelTrac CBTC/R STO
Line 7 2010 SelTrac CBTC/R STO
Line 11 2010 SelTrac CBTC/R STO
Singapore MRT
North South line 2017/2018 SelTrac CBTC/R DTO
East West line 2017/2018 SelTrac CBTC/R DTO
Tampa International Airport APM 1992 SelTrac CBTC UTO
Toronto rapid transit 2008/10 SelTrac Speed/Signal Safeguard
Line 3 Scarborough 1985 SelTrac CBTC DTO
Toronto streetcar electronic track switching system
Vancouver TransLink SkyTrain
Vancouver SkyTrain - Expo Line 1985 SelTrac CBTC UTO
Vancouver SkyTrain - Millennium Line 2002 SelTrac CBTC UTO
Vancouver SkyTrain - Canada Line 2009 SelTrac CBTC UTO
Vancouver SkyTrain - Evergreen Line 2016 SelTrac CBTC UTO
Walt Disney World Monorail 1989 SelTrac ATP Disney/TGI
Washington Dulles Airport AeroTrain APM 2009 SelTrac CBTC/R UTO
Wuhan Metro Line 1 2004/10 SelTrac CBTC DTO
SelTrac Incidents
2019 MTR Tsuen Wan Line CBTC accident - no fatalities but two MTR staff sent to hospital for observations
2017 Joo Koon rail accident - no fatalities but 38 injuries including 2 SMRT staff
References
External links
Official website
SelTrac technology
Moving Block Why do we Need It