Control System Renewal Programme

The London Trams Control system was originally installed in the late 1990s when the system was constructed and comprised two distinct elements:

1. The Trams Management System (TMS), installed in the depot at Therapia Lane and comprises software and hardware components responsible for taking information from equipment across the tram network and providing status and control capabilities to control room operational and maintenance staff. The TMS additionally performs a SCADA function, including software and Remote Terminal Units (RTUs) at the various traction power supply substations positioned across the newtwork.
2. The Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) installed at various locations around the tram network, provide autonomous local decision making and control of aspects of the signalling and control system.

Communication between these elements is provided by a distributed fibre-optic communications system.

The PLCs are original equipment and have been in use since the inauguration of the network at the turn of the century. The TMS is a more recent installation having been replaced in 2014.

Both parts of the control system contain elements that are becoming obsolete and nearing life expiry.

TfL is therefore seeking a procurement of a single system to address the full control system requirements performed by a single supplier.

The new control system will replace the equipment in the control room providing the interface used by the operations staff. Ensuring this interface meets the needs of the operator will be a critical activity in the project.

TfL is initially looking to receive any interest from external suppliers that would be interested in this future procurement and will be issuing their Market Sounding Questionnaire to all respondees to gain early market engagement feedback for the project.