per week, it will also enable a new suburban train network to be built. Safety and comfort will be the other main benefits of the work being done on modernising the Sydney Trains network: a remote switching system will reduce service interruptions and will make maintenance operations easier. ADAPTING INFRASTRUCTURE TO ECONOMIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHALLENGES As regions have to cater to growing urbanisation, exploding population growth and economic development, mobility is a lever that will help them achieve their aims. Ten years after it came into service, the Makkah metro in Saudi Arabia, is being extended in a bid to reduce traffic jams and air pollution in the city center, while improving the experience of residents, visitors and pilgrims. The metro of Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s largest town, is being deployed with SYSTRA. The red line is being extended, and a new yellow line will revolutionise mobility in this fast-growing metropolis. Similar developments will improve the day-to-day lives of the 600,000 residents of Kochi in India: a second elevated metro line is to be built. Further north in a town that has seen its population double in ten years, the Hyderabad metro is gearing up for phase 3 with the design of 100 kilometres of new line. São Paulo is also investing heavily in urban mobility to ensure its own sustainability: its metro – South America’s first – has chosen a monorail system for its line 15. It will extend over several new stations to provide better connections and smooth traffic over the whole network. Santiago (Chile) has opted for a suburban railway with two new lines. This will more effectively connect the capital to its suburbs and meet the growing needs of its 5.5 million residents. ENSURING THE LONG-TERM OPERATION OF RAILWAY HERITAGE At a time when investing in existing infrastructure is playing a part in developing sustainable mobility and making responsible use of resources, SYSTRA is leveraging an array of expertise to bolster the strength of networks and preserve their history. In India, SYSTRA’s teams are undertaking meticulous work to protect the heritage and safeguard the future of the Chhatrapati Shivaji station, classified as a Unesco World Heritage Site. Opened in 1887, it is one of Mumbai’s iconic structures and serves as one of the rail network’s lungs – up to three million passengers pass through it every day. Modernising it will include creating new relaxation and retail areas, as well as restaurants. In France, the Infrastructure unit undertook no fewer than 150 detailed inspections along the length of the Train Jaune historic line in the Catalan Pyrénées. These were used to flag up any damage and schedule works so as to ensure the long-term operation of the whole network. Right in the heart of France’s Massif central, the ligne des Causses has undergone complex renovation work so it can continue to provide an essential service for both passengers and freight. 22 SYSTRA Where thousands of people count on us ,setatS detinU eht nIyawbus kroY weN eht ,aidnI nIortem dabaredyH