Hitachi Rail to transform San Francisco's Muni railway with cutting-edge signalling
Contract confirmed for Hitachi Rail to deliver transformative solution for 160m annual journeys.
Project will see state-of-the-art SelTrac™ Communications-Based Train Control signaling delivered across the Muni network.
Hitachi Rail has signed a contract with San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) to transform the service of Municipal Railway (Muni) public transit with its advanced train control technology. Approximately 160 million passenger journeys per year will benefit from the modernisation of a signaling system, enhancing capacity and performance.
Hitachi Rail will deploy its state-of-the-art SelTrac™ Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) technology across the entire 71 mile and 33 station network. Hitachi Rail will expand the train control system to the network's surface portions, providing a single system for surface and subway areas to regulate flow of vehicles throughout the entire system. The contract will also include a 10-year long-term service support agreement for ongoing support and maintenance with an Option for 10 additional years.
CBTC is the most advanced train control solution available today for metros, light rail and people movers. The technology uses wireless communication between trains and infrastructure to operate urban transit and subway systems more efficiently and safely than conventional signaling. SelTrac™ will allow trains to run closer together, boosting capacity and revenue potential. This transformative train control technology will allow for more reliable, efficient and safer operations while supporting future growth.
The Muni network is a unique transit system that features heritage vehicles, including cable cars, streetcars, and light rail, operating both at street level and through underground subway connections. The Train Control Upgrade Project will modernize the train control technology across the entire fleet, including for these historic vehicles.
"Modernizing the Muni network of light rail Metro trains and historic streetcars with an industry leading signaling technology is an important step for the city of San Francisco. Hitachi Rail looks forward to expanding our long-standing partnership with the SFMTA, by delivering our SelTrac™ CBTC technology to enhance mobility, sustainability, and passenger experience," said Ziad Rizk, Director of Urban Rail Signaling, Hitachi Rail.
"We're grateful for the vision and foresight of the Board of Supervisors and former Mayor Breed, who gave us permission to pursue a negotiated, long-range contract, and we're eager to start our next-generation partnership with Hitachi Rail," said SFMTA's new Acting Director of Transportation, Julie Kirshbaum. "Hitachi Rail's product is the most technologically advanced we have seen. A major strength of their proposal was their thoughtful approach to applying their technology to San Francisco's unique challenges. Hitachi Rail will help the SFMTA deliver a project that improves daily rail service by improving Muni Metro reliability citywide."
The SFMTA is one of the largest transit agencies in the United States, providing transit services to more than 160 million riders annually. Hitachi Rail has a 25+ year, long standing partnership with SFMTA, deploying technology for Market Street and Central Subway lines. The train control upgrade project is expected to finish in 2032.
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