Rail supplier news from Indra Group, Wabtec, Forsee Power, Alstom and Forte Construction

Indra Group will supply up to 450 ticket terminals for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WAMTA) under a base contract worth $38.9 million. Over the next 15 years, Indra will renew the automatic ticket vending system for the entire Washington, D.C.-area transit agency subway system, Indra officials said in a press release. The new fare terminals will have larger, high-resolution touch screens and meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards for visibility, audio and tactical elements. Part of the production process for the new terminals will be performed at Indra's newly opened manufacturing facility in Olathe, Kansas.

Wabtec and Forsee Power are collaborating to integrate Forsee's Pulse Plus Rail advanced battery system into Wabtec's battery-electric locomotive platforms. The Pulse Plus Rail battery system is built on the latest generation of Toshiba LTO cells and delivers a 20-year lifespan with a voltage output of up to 1500 VDC, Forsee officials said in a press release. The system is accessible for maintenance and retains battery life in extreme temperatures, with integrated digital features to maximize operational efficiency, they added. The electrical architecture meets the requirements for freight- and passenger-rail applications.

Forte Construction Corp. last month completed a multiyear elevator accessibility improvement project for the MTA New York City Transit subway system. Beginning in 2023, Forte commissioned 19 elevators across eight major stations in the boroughs of Manhattan and Queens, company officials said in a press release. Notably, Forte installed three hydraulic elevators at the 1930s-era West 4th Street-Washington Square station, one of the network's busiest hubs, with connections to seven subway lines. Forte reconstructed elevator landing areas, installed a new glass canopy, restored sidewalk and installed a split cooling system for the elevator machine room.

An Alstom-led consortium has signed four contracts with Egyptian National Railways (ENR) to modernize the 6th of October-Alexandria corridor and the Belbes-10th of Ramadan (B10) line. Combined, the four contracts are valued at about 690 million euros, to be split among the consortium of Alstom, Rowad Modern Engineering and Concrete Plus. Alstom's share is valued at about 300 million euros, Alstom officials said in a press release. The consortium will modernize two segments with digital railway systems, upgraded telecommunications, reinforced power supply and comprehensive civil and track rehabilitation. The enhancements will improve safety, increase capacity, enhance operational reliability and reduce travel times. The projects will strengthen freight flow between Egypt's logistics hubs and maritime gateways, Alstom officials said.