Rolling stock manufacturer Stadler is to equip trams in Basel, Switzerland, with its communication-based train control system NOVA Pro.

Regional transport company BLT Baselland Transport AG has commissioned Stadler to carry out the work in the country’s third-largest city.

The company believes that its NOVA Pro system has shown how capable it is on the Waldenburg railway line, on which train services have recently operated in semi-automated GoA2 mode. After the driver has given approval for the vehicle to depart, journeys continue in a fully automatic mode. The line has a punctuality rate of more than 99 per cent, making it one of the most reliable lines in Switzerland.

NOVA Pro CBTC system regulates the vehicle’s speed, makes sure that it stops precisely at the station, and controls level crossings. BLT will implement NOVA Proacross its core network in the Basel metropolitan area. This will introduce automation and digitalisation to the operation of a complex urban rail operation.

Basel’s 38 Tango and 25 TINA trams will be equipped with NOVA Pro one at a time, with the work beginning this year. Next year, the company plans to hold initial test operations on Line 11. Following this, the system will be implemented in phases across the BLT core network.

The public mobile network will facilitate communication between onboard and trackside train control systems using 4G/5G technology.

BLT and Stadler have been collaborating for some time. Stadler has supplied vehicles for operation on other rail networks in Switzerland, including Lausanne and Bern.

“Building on our long-standing collaboration, this project marks another important milestone in our partnership—for the next ten years and beyond. BLT is far more than a customer to us; it is a close strategic partner. The success of the Waldenburg railway clearly demonstrates the potential of NOVA Pro. Together, we are continuously developing the network step by step and setting new standards in reliability, automation, and innovation. In doing so, we are jointly shaping the next digitalized generation of rail transport.”

Silvio Gemperli, Head of Business Unit Signalling Switzerland