SelTrac™ G9, the ninth generation of the moving-block CBTC (communications-based train control) system first rolled out in Canada by Alcatel in the 1970s and now offered by Hitachi Rail following its acquisition of Thales, is slated to debut in the near future, with a financial commitment from Invest Ontario subject to reaching a definitive agreement.
SelTrac™ was originally developed by Standard Elektrik Lorenz of Germany for the Krauss-Maffei Transurban, an automated guideway transit system proposed for the GO-Urban network in Canada’s Greater Toronto Area. The GO-Urban was not built, but an Ontario-based consortium led by UTDC (Urban Transportation Development Corporation) acquired the Transurban technology, ultimately deploying it as ITCS (Intermediate Capacity Transit System). ICTS was first used on the Toronto Transit Commission’s now-defunct Scarborough Rapid Transit and on BC Transit’s (now TransLink) SkyTrain network in Vancouver. Primarily developed and sold by Alcatel through a subsidiary, Thales Canada continued supplying it to the rail industry following Thales’ acquisition of Alcatel’s non-telecom assets. On May 31, 2024, Hitachi Rail completed acquisition of Thales’ Ground Transportation Systems (GTS) business, making SelTrac™ a Hitachi product. SelTrac™ is currently operating on more than 100 rail transit lines in 40 cities globally.
Now, Hitachi Rail, partnering with Invest Ontario, plans to pour more than C$100 million into SelTrac™ G9 through an R&D program that will integrate AI (artificial intelligence), 5G technology and edge and cloud computing. Invest Ontario will contribute C$4.5 million through the Invest Ontario Fund to the initiative, which Hitachi Rail said will “create a cutting-edge CBTC product for urban rail operators in Canada and globally,” adding 100 high-skill jobs to its York Mills, Toronto facilit yand growing the company’s Canadian employee count to more than 1,200, including R&D and engineering staff.
Hitachi’s Rail’s York Mills facility, which serves as the company’s Engineering Center of Excellence, is equipped with “state-of-the-art” facilities including labs, testing areas and simulation environments. The expansion, the company noted, “adds to Hitachi Rail’s growing presence in Canada, which includes delivering and maintaining major transit projects in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Ottawa. Toronto is home to our international urban transit signaling technology business, as well the program teams based downtown and in Mississauga who are delivering major new transit infrastructure.” Among these are Toronto’s Ontario Line rapid transit system and the Hazel McCallion (Hurontario) Line light rail system connecting Mississauga and Brampton. Both are Metrolinx projects.
