“Atos signs contract with Réseau Ferré de France to develop and implement the new centralised command/control rail management system: MISTRAL NG”

Improving train regularity, safety and responsiveness across the 8,700 miles of main rail network while reducing operating costs

• 2 levels of decision-making instead of 3
• 16 control centres instead of 1,500
• Overseen by a national control centre

Atos, an international IT services company, has signed a new 12-year contract worth tens of millions of euros with Réseau Ferré de France (RFF), which owns and manages the French railway network, to develop and implement MISTRAL NG, the new Centralised Network Control (CNC) tool. This programme, which will run until 2030, will consolidate the existing 1500 signal boxes and 21 regional centres for traffic regulation into 16 regional control centres supervised and coordinated by one national control centre.

 

Atos is RFF’s technology partner for the entire MISTRAL* (Digital Signalling, Transmission and Alarms Modules) programme, which was introduced in 1998 within the framework of a project to upgrade and reorganise the systems managing 90% of rail traffic in France. Continuing on from that project and to address the new challenges of CNC deployment, MISTRAL New Generation will be the cornerstone of this new programme which will run for some 30 years and receive an investment of over 8 billion euros.

 

Alain Quinet, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of RFF, explains: "Modernisation of the network is a priority for RFF in order to cope with the expected increase in traffic and lay the foundations for the rail mobility of tomorrow. Thanks to MISTRAL, which has been developed and implemented by Atos in partnership with SNCF Infrastructure, we have an innovative, fully digital interface which has enabled the establishment of more than 50 control centres and the progressive technology upgrade of remote controlled signal boxes. Atos is delivering the expected results on time and within budget, which is why we are continuing this partnership to finalise, over the coming years, the implementation of MISTRAL NG across all the CNC centres."

 

Gilles Grapinet, Senior Executive Vice President of the Atos Group, adds: "Atos is providing RFF with a turnkey solution at the cutting edge of technology, which the railway companies are the first to benefit from, through improvement of regularity and information, and significant reduction in operating cost. We’re particularly proud to be involved in the huge programme to modernise the traffic control system of the French rail network. This new contract is a great example of drawing on the Group’s various areas of experience – mission critical systems, on-board solutions and real-time tools. – to enhance the technological and operational excellence of our client RFF."

 

The Atos team of business technologists has been working for a number of years to supply the MISTRAL software solution and now MISTRAL NG –  developing the software, defining the scope and deploying on-site both at national CNC centres and regional control posts.

 

* In 2001, the MISTRAL (Digital Signalling, Transmission and Alarms Modules) system was installed for the first time in a signal box in Marseille. It has now been deployed in more than 50 boxes in France, managing over 15,000 routes of the network, supervising regional and high-speed lines, and provides the operators with:

 

• A universal tool for controlling network installations, irrespective of the technology used;
• Improved training of pointsmen and agents, thanks to its simulator;
• Better responsiveness in the event of network disruption;
• Assistance with diagnosis of problems;
• Simplified interventions;
• Consolidation and ranking of the alarms delivered to the operators;
• Optimisation of safety

About Atos

 

Atos SE (European) is an international player in the IT services market with annual revenues of EUR 8.6 billion and 76,300 employees in 52 countries, providing its customers all over the world with consultancy & system integration services, infomanagement services and transaction services via Worldline, the European leader and a world player in payment services. With its technological expertise and industrial background, Atos serves clients in a variety of industries: manufacturing, distribution & transport, public sector & health, financial services, telecoms, media & services to local authorities.

 

Atos deploys technologies that accelerate its clients’ development and helps them to implement their vision of the company of the future. Atos is the worldwide information technology partner for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The group is quoted on the Paris NYSE Eurolist Market and trades under the names Atos, Atos Consulting, Worldline and Atos Worldgrid.

Press Contact

Anne de Beaumont
+33 (0)6 23 76 19 41
anne.debeaumont@atos.net

 

Rhin/Rhône high-speed line Control Center in Dijon: Each operator controls a workstation with 5 to 9 screens where he/she can view the train traffic and the various alarms. ©photo lab services baume les dames