ViaQuatro, the operator of Line 4 of the Sao Paulo Metro, opened the initial section of this line at the end of May. This makes Sao Paulo, Brazilian first city in Latin America to have a fully automated, driverless metro system. ViaQuatro had commissioned Siemens mobility to expand the new line in 2007.
ViaQuatro, the operator of Line 4 of the Sao Paulo Metro, opened the initial section of this line at the end of May. This makes Sao Paulo, Brazilian first city in Latin America to have a fully automated, driverless metro system. ViaQuatro had commissioned Siemens mobility to expand the new line in 2007.
Line 4 in this Brazilian metropolis covers a distance of 12.8 kilometers and serves eleven stations. The first section that has opened includes two stations located 2.5 kilometers apart and connects Line 4 to the rest of the Sao Paulo metro system. All stations are equipped with platform screen doors. This fully automated line enables trains to run at closer headways than conventional driver-operated systems and ensures optimum safety conditions. When fully completed, Line 4 is expected to carry approximately 900,000 passengers daily.
The line section, the metro trains and the operations control center are all equipped with the automatic train control system from Siemens. The driverless metro trains will be operated as a shuttle service between the two stations. Three trains have been equipped for this service. The depot will be controlled by the Siemens-built interlocking system.
As leader of the consortium, Siemens mobility supplied the ATC system, which employs Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) technology to enable driverless operation. The supply included both wayside and onboard equipment to operate the train in fully automated and unattended service. Siemens also installed the CBTC central control station, an automatic traffic supervision solution specially designed for the CBTC technology, as well as the Sicas electronic interlocking system. The Hyundai-Rotem company is supplying 84 cars to make up the 14 metro trains.
The remaining section of the line will be opened in the next phases of the project. Besides the onboard CBTC system, Siemens will install a passenger information system, a video surveillance system and a train radio system. In addition to the CBTC system, the operations control center will be equipped with a Scada system. It will monitor and control not only the metro line, the stations and the depot, but also the train communication system and the video surveillance system supplied by Siemens for the trains and stations.