TTCI to Start ‘Next Chapter’ at New Pueblo Facility
Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
Through a public-private partnership, the Federal Railroad Administration and TTCI/AAR have worked together for nearly 40 years to operate and perform research at the Transportation Technology Center (TTC; pictured). Starting this fall, ENSCO will provide research and development, testing, engineering and training services at TTC.
The Transportation Technology Center, Inc., (TTCI) reported April 27 that it would develop a new engineering and laboratory facility in Pueblo, Colo.
The wholly owned Association of American Railroads (AAR) subsidiary has secured an agreement with the Pueblo Economic Development Corp. (PEDCO), which it said solidifies TTCI’s “commitment to its employees and the Pueblo, Colo., community.”
The new, updated facility “will be designed to meet the evolving needs of the rail industry and TTCI’s diverse customer base,” according to TTCI. It will also “improve competitiveness in the commercial market.”
“We’re laying the cornerstone for the next chapter of TTCI and rail innovation right here in Pueblo,” TTCI President Lisa Stabler said. “This new partnership represents our commitment to serving our rail customers and providing continuity of services long into the future, while maintaining our employees’ quality of life and contributing to this community.”
The move follows the March 8 announcement that ENSCO, Inc., a Virginia-based corporation that operates in the defense, transportation, aerospace and intelligence sectors, had been awarded a $571 million contract to provide research and development, testing, engineering, and training services at the Transportation Technology Center (TTC). Owned by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), the TTC comprises more than 50 miles of railroad track and specialized laboratories for testing locomotives, vehicles, track components, and communications and signaling devices in Pueblo. Transition of the U.S. Department of Transportation operations, maintenance and research programs to ENSCO is slated for completion by October 2022.
Since 1982, AAR has managed the TTC, most of that time through TTCI. TTCI has held successive single-source Care, Custody and Control Contracts signed with the FRA.
