Trip Optimizer Tops 500MM Miles
Wabtec Corp.’s Trip Optimizer energy management system, described by the company as a “smart cruise control system for trains,” has surpassed, globally, 500 million miles in operation.
Wabtec
MTA Orders 25 Hybrid Locomotives From Wabtec for $233MM
New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Board recently awarded a $233 million contract to Wabtec for 25 electric-diesel hybrid locomotives for use on NYC Transit work trains as part of the agency’s “ongoing efforts to improve environmental sustainability and health and safety for employees and customers.”
Wabtec Delivers PowerHaul Locomotives to Operail
After completing customization work to meet the 1,525mm gauge requirements at Tulomsas in Turkey, Wabtec has delivered the first two of nine PowerHaul locomotives to Operail in Finland. They’re undergoing testing and certification, after which they’ll be able to go into service.
Virgin Trains USA, Wabtec Sign $120MM PTC Deal
Virgin Trains USA (VTUSA), more commonly known under its original name, Brightline, has reached a $120 million agreement with Wabtec for the implementation of Positive Train Control.
Does Rebuilding Locomotives Beat Buying New?
Ever check out the list prices of brand-new main line diesel-electric locomotives? They are expensive, about $3 million each. Are you mesmerized by the horsepower quoted? Nah! You want tractive effort. Hauling heavy, long freight trains is the North American business model. You need to purchase tractive effort.
“IN PANDEMIC FIGHT, PUBLIC TRANSIT IS PART OF THE SOLUTION, NOT THE PROBLEM”
OK, I’ll give you one guess as to who said this. Hints: It’s not APTA or the Eno Center for Transportation. It’s not one of the giant public transportation agencies like the New York MTA or NJ Transit or CTA or WMATA or Los Angeles Metro. It’s not one of the huge engineering consulting firms like WSP USA, AECOM or Parsons. It’s not a transit car builder like Alstom, Siemens or Bombardier. It’s not even Contributing Editor David Peter Alan, whose passion for rail transit has generated tens of thousands of words for the Railway Age website. Give up?
Wabtec, Tronix3D Partner to Provide PPE
Wabtec Corp. and Tronix3D are partnering to provide much-needed personal protective equipment (PPE) for Excela Health, a health system provider of advanced medical care in Pennsylvania. The partnership is leveraging additive technology to produce 1,000 face shields for the hospital this week, which are critical for frontline healthcare workers responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rail Equipment Thoughts and Positioning: Cowen
Cowen and Company recently released its Railcar Industry Forecast, which predicts 21% and 9% declines in deliveries and orders, respectively, this year.
Read-Throughs From Class I Earnings: Cowen
Class I railroad capital expenditures “could decline by high single-digits to mid-teens this year,” Cowen and Company freight transportation analyst Matt Elkott notes in a Jan. 30 report, “but it is not all bad news,” at least for one supplier.
Wabtec Opens Engineering Center in Bengaluru
Wabtec Corp. recently inaugurated its Wabtec India Engineering and Technology Center (WITEC) in Bengaluru, which is aimed at supporting growth and innovation.