Cassidian, an EADS company, has won a bid to deliver its digital Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA) communication system for the first tram network (Hunnan Xinqu) in Shenyang, the provincial capital of Liaoning, in China. This is the first contract that Cassidian has won for the Chinese tram market.

This marks the start of Shenyang's wide-ranging tram project, under which the local authorities plan to build inner-city and intercity trams in the coming years. The Hunnan Xinqu tram network will consist of four lines and two comprehensive transportation hub stations, covering a total length of about 60 km and serving 96 stations. The first line will enter service in 2013.

Cassidian will provide the TETRA system with a complete set of equipment, including the new generation DXT3 switch, base stations, Dispatcher Workstation (DWS) controllers and terminals. The system will provide optimal communications support for dispatching, operating and managing trams, and for ensuring the security of the tram lines.

"Rail transit is developing in China: Chinese metropolises like Suzhou, Dalian, Shanghai and Tianjin are already building and operating new tram lines. Many other cities in China such as Beijing and Nanjing are rebuilding trams and others are planning new tram lines," said Zhang Shaohong, CEO of Secure Communication Solutions at Cassidian China. "Cassidian has already provided TETRA radio communication systems for tens of metro lines in China, including in Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Shenyang and Nanjing, and we are happy to be entering into the tram sector of the rail transit industry now, too."