Ateïs France has been commissioned to design and supply a sophisticated PA/VA system to RATP for the extensive refurbishment of major French railway station Châtelet-Les-Halles.
Châtelet-Les-Halles is not only the biggest underground rail station in the world, but also the main commuter hub of Paris. Every weekday 750,000 passengers pass through the sprawling transport complex, which encompasses three lines of the RER regional rapid transit service and five Metro routes.
This major building project, overseen by public transport operator RATP, began at the end of 2012 and is due to be completed in 2016. There are three main components to this work: improving accessibility, increasing the standard of service and passenger comfort and making improvements to fire safety and evacuation arrangements.
Ateïs France has supplied processing and networking systems to form the backbone of the audio emergency evacuation system. The IDA8 modular networkable PA/VA system will control approximately 20 zones connected over 44 loudspeaker lines.
A key factor in the selection of the Ateïs IDA8 was its EN54-16 certification. Additionally, it monitors all components and peripherals, with incidents recorded in a data file. Ateïs Voxanet IP software is used as a bridge between the VA system and RATP’s own supervision program that manages PA and voice messages. Voxanet was specifically customised to enable this interfacing. The installation also includes two racks linked to an Ateïs Net audio networking system.
Commenting on the project, Ateïs France commercial director Jérôme Beyls said: “This installation was a big challenge not only in terms of size but also because it is the first underground railway system in France to use the Ateïs IDA8. But we knew our technology and products were equal to that challenge and are proud to be associated with such a major building project.”
Existing Ateïs rail installations across Europe include Zurich’s Hauptbahnhof, the Paris to Marseille TGV line and London’s Kings Cross.
Picture: Vincent BABILOTTE
