Partner of the metro for more than 40 years, EQUANS monitors passenger safety and has installed a 4th generation system to supervise the equipment for 40 stations.
A real underground maze, the Brussels metro allows travellers to move from one end of the capital to the other in a few minutes. As a long-standing partner for the maintenance and renovation of the network’s electromechanical systems, EQUANS has supported this ambitious project from day one. Recently, a framework agreement was signed for implementation of a centralised supervision system for the equipment of 40 stations, pre-metro or STTB depots.
Equipment maintenance
With the aim of simplifying the use of green mobility, EQUANS has monitored the Brussels metro installations since the very first sections were opened in 1975. We look after every aspect… Whether this be replacement power supplies, renewal of UPS batteries or maintenance of the signalling system, our teams work regularly on several different sites to ensure the comfort and safety of the staff, as well as the end users.
Electrical and electromechanical works
At the request of Bruxelles Mobilité and the STIB (Société des transports intercommunaux de Bruxelles – Brussels Transport Services), we are also working on various projects to extend or modernise this effective and safe transport network. Equipment for new depots station renovations, roll-out of the new CBTC metro signalling system (via Hitachi), installing optical fibre (in the tunnels and stations) or cable ladders (at the Delta depot)… Our teams are capable of designing, installing and commissioning all the equipment necessary for satisfactory operation of the infrastructures: high voltage substations, low voltage distribution panels, access control, fire detection, ventilation, signalling, passenger information, telephony, safety networks etc.
4th generation equipment
A few months ago, we launched an agreement which will bring a new dimension to the STIB’s systems. This is a project aiming to supervise the installations via a centralised 4th generation system. The facts are that, hitherto, equipment such as escalators, lifts, lighting or pumping stations have been working with mutually incompatible communication networks. With the new SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) platform set up by our teams, it will in future be possible to have a complete view of the electrical and electromechanical equipment for each station and to send this data to STIB Dispatching in real time. This development is the end result of close collaboration between the Mobility (EM South) and Industrie Sud (Automation and Digitisation) divisions.
Savings and optimisations
This system will be based on web technology and will be accessible via any standard browser (MS Explorer, Chrome, Firefox, IE, Safari, etc.). Control of the lighting (KNX protocol), ventilation system, escalators or pumping stations… The system will be capable of detecting the slightest anomaly in real time. The aim? To make preventive maintenance savings and optimise interventions by the staff in case of failure. At the end of 2021, the project had already been set up in a pilot station. On completion, this system will be installed in around forty different stations and depots.
Major mobility projects
Engineering, studies, programming… Yet again, EQUANS’ manifold technical skills are enabling the efficient roll-out of large scale projects inside complex installations. Whether it involves electromechanical works, maintenance, ventilation or 4th generation solutions, EQUANS is the ideal partner for all public transport mobility projects. Currently, 15 engineers and technical experts, as well as more than 30 blue collar workers and site managers are providing a superlative service to the Brussels metro network. This guarantees continuity in the operation of the different metro lines and improvement of passenger comfort.
