PATH, Siemens move ahead on CBTC
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefA Siemens-led consortium has signed a $321 million contract with the PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) rapid transit system to modernize and automate signaling equipment with CBTC (communications-based train control).
The consortium, led by the Siemens Mobility Division, includes Invensys Rail Corp. (formerly Safetran Systems) and D/A Builders, LLC, a joint venture of Daidone Electric of Newark, N.J. and Aldridge Electric of Libertyville, Ill. The CBTC system will be radio-based, using WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network). The project is due to be completed in 2017.
Siemens said CBTC will increase PATH’s passenger capacity from 240,000 per day to 290,000, by shortening headways. PATH’snew PA-5 cars, supplied by Kawasaki Railcar USA, are “CBTC ready” and are now being placed into service. “Upgrading the system to CBTC will shorten the distance between operating trains, enabling more trains to move into and out of New York City on the basis of the existing infrastructure,” said Siemens. “CBTC will also enhance the system’s throughput to meet future peak time demands, inaddition to increasing safety and reliability while reducing ongoing maintenance costs. In addition to this increase in capacity, a new Siemens-provided train supervision system will help PATH operate more efficiently and know exactly where each train is located in the rail network.”
The PATH rail system is more than 100 years old, running from both Newark and Hoboken in New Jersey to the World Trade Center and Herald Square in Manhattan.
