JUNE 2017
H
business elite canada
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our transportation-related facilities,” says
Mark Halinaty, President & CEO, Thales
Canada Inc. Thales is the product centre
for Communication-based train control, or
CBTC, which is an advanced railway sig-
nalling system that produces high perfor-
mance and highly automated systems for
subways and metros. Thales has a long
history developing CBTC, and was one of
the early pioneers with SelTrac (the name
under whichThales markets CBTC technol-
ogy) was Vancouver’s Sky Train network—
the longest fully automated driverless sys-
tem in the world—and the Scarborough RT
in Toronto. The fully-automated trains on
grade separated trains allows commuters
consistent on-time reliability and safety.
“We have grown this technology and we
export it around the world,” continues Hali-
naty. “We are supplying it on a number of
lines in London Underground, Hong Kong
MTR system, and for transportation sys-
tems in Dubai, Mecca, Doha, and China,
to name a few. It is very much a global
business we continue to supply here in
Canada.”
Particularly in cities with existing infrastruc-
ture, like London, whose Underground is
the world’s oldest (having opened in 1863),
the upgrade saves new infrastructure from
being built.
“The impact is obviously cost saving for
