Thales wins role on Taipei’s new tram

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Thales wins role on Taipei’s new tram

French multinational Thales has won an $18.3m (€17m) contract for the design and manufacture of signalling, communications and control centre systems for the Danhai Light Rail Transit project, Taiwan’s second tramway line and one of the first tramway projects in Asia Pacific.

Taiwan’s local industry giant China Steel Corp. along with its subsidiaries United Steel Engineering & Construction Corp. and Taiwan Rolling Stock Co., will construct Danhai’s Light Rail Phase 1 Corridors, including the Green Mountain Line (11 stations), a section of Blue Ocean Line (3 stations) and a depot.

This project, expected to be completed in 2018, will run a total of approximately 10km.

The New Taipei City government is boosting transport infrastructure in anticipation of population growth.

According to Thales, the government has further plans to build at least four other lines in the next seven years.

The Danhai project is the first to employ a local Taiwanese solution to which Thales will bring its expertise, Thales said.

Thales has previously delivered metro projects in Malaysia, Hong-Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, and China, but this is its first in Taiwan.

“Taiwan is among the most mature and demanding public transport markets in Asia, it is no surprise if it is the first to introduce LRT lines in the region,” said Jean-Louis Moraud, managing director of Thales in Japan and Taiwan.

“We believe in Taiwan as a showcase for this emerging segment, and we believe in our partner to jointly deliver this iconic project.”

Source: Global Construction Review

Link: http://tinyurl.com/p4fkv5a

Moving Abroad Checklist

Initial Considerations

Will your partner be travelling with you?

If so, what will they be giving up in your present home and will they be able to continue with their career in your new home? You will need to check whether a separate visa is required for your partner to work or if your visa gives that right. If they are unable to work you will need to decide on the effect on your finances and what alternatives are available to give a fulfilling life (home business, training, voluntary work).

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Moving with family raises many exciting opportunities, but also can create challenges. The HSBC Expat Explorer survey indicates that expat kids can take six months to settle in to their new country (see article). Getting young or even older children to prepare to move and leave their friends and family behind can be a challenge and should be thought through.

The options for education is another area that needs to be thought through.

Moving your child to a new country with a different education system can be a great opportunity to broaden their experience, but if they are close to key exams the timing can make this inadvisable. If you do take your family with you, it is important to decide between joining the local school system or choosing an international school.

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Whether you will be living in a house or apartment, furnished or unfurnished, these decisions will affect what you need to take with you. The time you are planning to live overseas will also affect whether you should leave your property at home empty, rent it out or sell it. See the article Sell, Store or Ship.