Rail supplier news from Stadler, Siemens, Ondas and Hitachi Rail (Dec. 6)

Stadler Rail has obtained a $500 million contract from the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) to equip the agency’s rail network with a new train control system. The replacement of the current system will improve train control, which in turn increases rail safety and on-time performance, according to a MARTA press release. The advanced train control system uses wireless communication to provide real-time information on train positioning so that trains can be operated more precisely, safely and efficiently. The Stadler system will work seamlessly with MARTA’s new Stadler CQ400 rail cars being introduced in 2025. The hardware will be installed at the Stadler plant in Salt Lake City, where the 56 MARTA trains are being built. The trackside equipment will be installed, tested and commissioned directly on the MARTA network. 

Siemens Mobility and Ondas Networks have partnered to upgrade Chicago commuter railroad Metra's legacy 900 MHz communications network with Siemens Mobility’s Airlink wireless networking equipment. As the first 900 MHz wireless network upgrade by a major railroad, Metra’s order will set the tone for the future of enhanced railroad connectivity and communications across the country, Siemens and Ondas officials said in a press release. Siemens Mobility’s Airlink wireless network technology is scalable, secure and designed to operate seamlessly in challenging environments, including high-speed rail and dense urban transit systems.

Hitachi Rail has entered into a contract with FirstGroup plc and Angel Trains Ltd. to lease 14 five-car Hitachi electric or bi-mode trains (70 cars in total) at a cost of $638 million, including maintenance, over a 10-year lease period. Hitachi will manufacture the trains in northeast England. The new trains will be used on the newly announced London-Carmarthen route and to increase the number of cars on the existing Lumo and Hull Trains services. The agreement includes an option for FirstGroup to lease up to an additional 13 trains.