Rail supplier news from STV, Hitachi Rail and Urban Engineers

STV Inc. announced that MTA Metro-North Railroad selected the firm to provide engineering and procurement support for new battery electric locomotives. STV is performing design reviews, test coverage and vehicle inspection services for the program, according to an STV press release, which did not reveal financial terms. The locomotives, which are modeled after the Siemens Mobility Charger SC42-DM dual-powered locomotives that STV is also supporting, will be among the first battery electric passenger-rail vehicles in the United States. The locomotives will be used as part of a new service that will bring Metro-North’s New Haven Line directly to Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan.

Hitachi Rail’s advanced communication technology equipped the first of London Docklands Light Railway’s (DLR) new fleet of 54 trains, which have begun entering passenger service. This milestone showcases Hitachi Rail’s digital communications-based train control signaling, which underpins the safety, reliability and availability of the new fleet, Hitachi Rail officials said in a press release. The DLR’s rolling stock replacement program is replacing 32 of the oldest three-car trains with 43 new trains. An additional 11 trains also are being introduced to boost capacity across the DLR network. The new trains are built by CAF, with signaling integration and onboard signaling control systems supplied by Hitachi Rail.

Urban Engineers Inc. has hired Ronald Swerdon to serve as a senior project manager for transit. Swerdon will lead major infrastructure initiatives across the firm’s public transit portfolio, overseeing quality and cost management programs and supporting strategic growth initiatives, according to an Urban Engineers press release. His work will build on the firm's long-standing experience in providing program management oversight services for the Federal Transit Administration. Swerdon has more than 20 years of experience in the transportation industry, including serving as project manager for the Maryland Transit Administration’s Light-Rail Overhaul Project, and as project management consultant and deputy program manager for the Baltimore Red Line transit megaproject.