Principal exhibitor at Gulf Traffic 2005 wins landmark urban transport contract

Serco, a world-leading service company organisation that specializes in the development and integration of complex monitoring and control systems for transport projects around the world, yesterday announced that it has been appointed preferred bidder to operate and maintain the Docklands Light Railway ("DLR") in London.

The DLR contract will run for seven years and may be extended for a further two years, subject to performance. The contract is valued at around £400m to Serco over the whole nine years. Final discussions will now start for the new contract which is due to run from April 2006.

Serco will be showcasing its latest Integrated Transport Systems (ITS) technologies on stand 1313 at Gulf Traffic in Dubai, December 12-14, 2005.

Visitors to the stand will be able to gain an insight into a number of state of the art active traffic management systems that Serco has designed, built and operates in major conurbations across the world. Delegates will also be able to discuss their integrated transport needs and future intelligent transport solutions with Serco experts.

The exhibit comes to Dubai from San Francisco where Serco was a key participant in the Integrated Transport Systems World Congress 2005 from 6-10 November, 2005.

Visual demonstrations on the stand will highlight the technology and capability Serco has delivered for governments and their agencies across the US, Europe, Asia and Australasia. Projects include:

• Docklands Light Railway, UK
Serco has operated the DLR since 1997, winning National Rail Awards for six consecutive years, including an award for Outstanding Achievement in the rail industry in September 2005. In the last seven years, the DLR service consistently improved its performance and is currently achieving passenger satisfaction scores close to 95% and reliability scores of over 97%.

• Copenhagen MetroService, Denmark
Serco manages the state-of-the-art Copenhagen Metro, designed for the 21st Century commuter. The sophisticated, fully automatic passenger overground and underground train service has been specifically built to link-up parts of the Danish capital that blends-in and enhances its urban surroundings.

• National Traffic Control Center (NTCC), UK
The centerpiece of the (UK) Highways Agency's US$282 million, 10 year, National Traffic Control Center project, the NTCC concentrates on collecting traffic information on 6,500 km of England's arterial motorways and major A-roads in England, known as the core road network, and disseminating that information to various interested groups.

Using an Interactive Telephone Service or website, road users can access current traffic information from across England, enabling them to make an informed choice on whether to take an alternative route, change the time of departure or even mode of travel. The data is also available on a commercial basis to third parties and information providers.

• Dublin City Council traffic equipment maintenance and fault management system incorporating SCATS
A major contract to provide traffic equipment maintenance services and develop and install an integrated Fault Management System (FMS). The system now interfaces with the Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System (SCATS) to provide a real-time area wide traffic management system which monitors and controls traffic in Dublin and its environs. It automatically adapts to trends in traffic movement and coordinates groups of intersections in order to manage traffic in an area rather than just at individual intersections.

• Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor Traffic Control and Surveillance System (TCSS)
A US$9.7 million joint venture contract to design, supply, install, commission, and maintain a TCSS for a new strategic road link between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, mainland China. Taking data from various sources that monitor the state of the road network, the TCCS will manage incidents by recommending suitable responses to operators and allow their rapid implementation via road side equipment as part of a coordinated automated response or manually by the operator.

Damian McHale, director of international business development, Serco Integrated Transport, said: "Serco is one of the most experienced and innovative transport systems integrators, not only delivering and maintaining many of the transport investments needed today but helping to develop the strategy and systems for the future.

At Gulf Traffic we are looking forward to demonstrating to the Middle East the latest ITS technologies developed from over 20 years of providing the services and systems that allow travelers, organizations and governments to make intelligent, informed choices in relation to transport modes and routes, in a safe and assured manner."