Alstom Completes Bombardier Transportation Takeover
Alstom has completed its $6.68 billion (€5.5 billion) acquisition of Bombardier Transportation, cementing its position as the second largest rail manufacturer in the world after CRRC.
Siemens Mobility
Watch: Amtrak Midwest Siemens Ventures (Updated)
Four Siemens Mobility “Venture” cars for Amtrak Midwest service are being tested this week. A train with the new single-level passenger cars left Pontiac, Mich., around 7 a.m. on Jan. 26 bound for Chicago, on Michigan’s state-supported Amtrak Wolverine route.
FTA Signs FFGAs for NICTD, Phoenix Metro Projects
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has signed Full Funding Grant Agreements (FFGAs) for Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District’s (NICTD) Double Track Northwest Indiana Project and for Valley Metro’s South Central Light Rail Extension/Downtown Hub Project in Phoenix.
Siemens-Ondas Wireless Radio Communications System Shipped to Class I
The newest Siemens Mobility-branded wireless radio communication system from Ondas Networks has been shipped to a Class I railroad, reports Ondas, a developer of proprietary, software-based wireless broadband technology for industrial markets.
NYMTA Commuter Railroads: 100% PTC Operational
Officials at New York MTA’s Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) announced Dec. 23 that implementation of Positive Train Control (PTC) was complete, just ahead of the Dec. 31, 2020, federal deadline. They teamed with systems integrator Siemens Mobility and Bombardier Transportation on the project.
A Christmas Bell Story
From bringing families together for the Holidays to that first electric train set beneath the tree (I remember mine well, from 1963), railroads and Christmas have been linked for generations. Here’s a particularly inspiring story of kindness and caring provided to us by Elizabeth Cho, who handles public relations at Siemens Mobility.
Siemens ATP for Trillium Line South Extension
SNC Lavalin wholly owned subsidiary TransitNEXT has selected Siemens Mobility to provide the signaling and train control system for Ottawa’s 10-mile, eight-station Trillium Line South Extension project. The contract also includes updating the existing Trillium Line’s signaling system and installing ATP (Automatic Train Protection) technology on the entire network. ATP “will be increasingly important, given the higher ridership levels expected with the Trillium Line’s new South Extension and the connection to Ottawa’s Macdonald-Cartier International Airport,” Siemens noted. The project is expected to be completed in 2022.
SacRT Awarded $35.47MM for LRT Improvements
The Sacramento Regional Transportation District (SacRT) will receive $35.47 million from the California Transportation Commission (CTC) to continue work on its $610 million light rail modernization project to improve capacity.
NCTD: More Power on Order
California’s North County Transit District (NCTD) has ordered two additional Siemens Charger locomotives for its COASTER regional/commuter rail service.
Valley Metro Adding 14 LRVs and Two Extensions
The Valley Metro Regional Public Transportation Authority in Phoenix has awarded Siemens Mobility a contract for 14 additional S700 light rail vehicles, primarily for the South Central Extension/Downtown Hub, now under construction. Also under way is Northwest Extension Phase II.