Wabtec Lands HVAC Order for New MARTA Trainsets

Wabtec is providing 336 HVAC units for 56 new trainsets being produced for MARTA at Stadler’s Salt Lake City, Utah, plant. (Photograph Courtesy of Wabtec).

Wabtec Corp. will supply heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units for the 56 new Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) trainsets on order from Stadler.

Under an updated railcar order agreement, initially signed in 2019, Stadler is producing 56 four-car CQ400 trainsets for MARTA, with assembly taking place at its Salt Lake City, Utah, plant.

Wabtec on July 20 said its contract with Stadler calls for 336 HVAC units: 224 for installation in the rider portion of the rapid transit cars and 112 in the engineer cabins.

The flat, double-sided roof units are designed to be mounted in the middle of cars and have air handling on each side to provide additional cooling and heating capacity, according to the manufacturer.

MARTA in June reported that its Fiscal Year 2023 capital budget of $717 million includes close to $40 million for procurement of the 224 railcars, whose $600 million-plus price tag represents the agency’s largest single capital investment. The design debuted in January, and the first car is slated to arrive in 2025.

“We are proud to be supporting the fleet renewal for Atlanta’s public transit system and expand our transit operations in the United States,” said Pino Cordini, Managing Director for Wabtec’s Transit segment. “Our service-proven HVAC system will improve the passenger experience by providing a comfortable cabin environment on MARTA trains regardless of extreme seasonal temperature.”