USA: Stadler has announced an ‘international breakthrough’ in the signalling sector with the award of a $500m eight-year contract to supply its NOVA Pro communication-based train control to replace Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority’s current metro signalling equipment.
Stadler said the MARTA order announced on December 5 is its largest to date in the signalling sector, and the first time that a US customer has selected a Stadler train control system alongside Stadler trains.
Stadler is building 56 four-car CQ400 metro trains for MARTA under a 2019 contract, and the onboard equipment will be installed during assembly at its Salt Lake City factory. The lineside equipment will be installed, tested and commissioned on site on the MARTA network. The trains are now expected to enter service from 2025. During a transition phase, the trains will be able to run with both the old and the signalling equipment.
Drivers will be retained to operate the trains and monitor the journey.
‘This investment will enhance the safety and reliability of our rail network and allow our trains to operate with the highest safety standards, while still being monitored and controlled by skilled operators’, said MARTA General Manger & CEO Collie Greenwood. ‘The system will allow us to increase capacity, improve on-time performance, and optimise efficiency. By doing so, we’ll improve the customer experience and position MARTA as one of the most advanced transportation systems in the country.’
Stadler Rail CEO Markus Bernsteiner said ‘this order is a significant milestone and represents an international market breakthrough for us in the CBTC sector. MARTA and its passengers can look forward to a state-of-the-art train control system that will make metro operations more punctual, safer and more efficient’.
As part of the project, Stadler is partnering with Disadvantaged Business Enterprises and supporting an apprenticeship programme targeting low-income families.
