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Supply Side: Nozomi Networks/Cervello; Skanska USA; TRAC Intermodal; Trapeze Group/Sentient Science

Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
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Nozomi Networks and Cervello have partnered to offer rail cybersecurity solutions. In addition, Skanska USA-designed and built AirTrain stations at San Francisco International Airport have received LEED Gold certifications; TRAC Intermodal has been named best overall chassis provider at the Port of New York and New Jersey; and Trapeze Group and Sentient Science are teaming to help transit agencies plan and budget for track maintenance.

San Francisco, Calif.-based Nozomi Networks and Tel Aviv, Israel-based Cervello will now offer the rail industry comprehensive, end-to-end cybersecurity, the companies reported. “Cervello’s railway threat detection complements the Nozomi cybersecurity portfolio to simplify, scale and strengthen railway security operations, while helping customers identify and respond effectively to cyber threats before they penetrate their critical network and activities via Nozomi Networks’ converged IT/IoT/OT purview,” they explained. “The Cervello Platform connects seamlessly and protects rail communications, signaling and control systems against potential or existing threats to both safety and security.”

“Digital transformation of the world’s rail systems increasingly requires IoT and cloud-based solutions to improve railway safety, operational efficiency and reliability,” said Chet Namboodri, Nozomi Networks Senior Vice President of Business Development and Alliances. “Of course, this purposeful proliferation and utilization of IoT opens the door to new cyber threats and increases the rail and transport attack surface. That’s why Nozomi Networks has partnered with Cervello to help railway operators ensure safe and reliable transportation, while avoiding operational disruptions. We have several joint projects under way with advanced rail systems in Europe, and this now formalized global partnership enables us to more rapidly expand our joint efforts worldwide.”

San Francisco International Airport’s Blue Line AirTrain was extended from the Rental Car Center to the Lot DD Long-Term Parking structure. This project included two new AirTrain stations—one at Lot DD and one at the new on-airport Grand Hyatt Hotel—and system upgrades.

Two new AirTrain stations completed in May as part of the San Francisco International Airport’s AirTrain Extension and Improvement Project were recently awarded LEED® Gold certifications from the U.S. Green Building Council. Skanska USA provided progressive design-build service for the $172 million project, which began in August 2016.

The on-airport Grand Hyatt Hotel and the Long-Term Parking (LTP) Lot stations (see map above) were certified Gold under LEED for Building Design and Construction (LEED BD+C) v4, which provides a framework for constructing a holistic green building, Skanska USA reported.

The extension and improvement project implemented more than 50 sustainable practices, according to the construction and development firm. Highlights include:

• Installing a large solar photovoltaic (PV) system on the roof of the SFO Long Term Parking Garage #2. With 2,700 PV panels, it generates about 40% of the AirTrain stations’ annual power needs.
• Employing new water-efficient fittings and fixtures that reduce water use by about 40%.
• Recycling more than 75% of construction and demolition debris.
• Procuring building products and materials that comply with the LEED Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions criteria to reduce concentrations of indoor chemical contaminants.
• Testing indoor air quality at both stations to confirm compliance with LEED air quality assessment standards.
• Selecting building products and materials from manufacturers that “transparently disclose products’ environmental life-cycle information to reduce global environmental impact.”

“The completion of the AirTrain extension to Long-Term Parking realized our vision to provide a seamless, clean energy connection between all of our terminals, parking, hotel and rental car facilities,” SFO Airport Director Ivar C. Satero said. “At the same time, the project continued our tradition of industry leadership in sustainable building design, construction, and operation. This LEED® Gold certification is a tribute to the dedicated project team who transformed this vision into reality.”

The Association of Bi-State Motor Carriers has named TRAC Intermodal as the Best Overall Chassis Provider in the Port of New York and New Jersey. It is the fourth time in the past six years that TRAC has received the honor.

“The record-breaking freight volumes we’ve experienced have made maintaining sufficient inventory of reliable, road-worthy chassis an extremely difficult task,” said Lisa Yakomin, President of the Bi-State Motor Carriers Association, a non-profit membership group of 170 trucking and trucking-industry-related firms doing business at the Port of New York and New Jersey. “TRAC Intermodal demonstrated extraordinary dedication to providing a high level of service during this period of unprecedented demand, and we are proud to recognize their efforts. …” 

TRAC Intermodal President and CEO Daniel Walsh noted: “We are especially proud to be honored during the challenging times of record cargo volumes and pressing chassis demand, which underscores our commitment to providing our customers with top-quality, safe and reliable equipment.”

Track maintenance software from Buffalo, N.Y.-based Sentient Science will now be integrated with Enterprise Asset Management, Capital Planning, and State of Good Repair tools from Mississauga, Ontario-based Trapeze Group. “This collaboration allows rail transit agencies and railroads to measure the life extension and cost savings from rail grinding, milling and friction management, ultimately allowing agencies to make well-informed investment decisions,” the companies reported. 

Sentient Science’s DigitalClone for Rail Maintenance (DC-RM) software “helps track engineers and chief engineers simulate and compare the life extension of different maintenance strategies, including rail grinding, milling, friction management and material selection,” according to the provider.

Trapeze EAM is an asset management platform that helps railroads with capital planning “through clear cost-benefit analysis of the work specifications, budget impact, future cost avoidance and alternatives considered,” the company explained.

“[W]e are excited for this joint initiative with Trapeze to make it easier for rail agencies to show they are maintaining their rail optimally, and ultimately saving money,” said Wesley Thomas, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Rail at Sentient Science.

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