Siemens Rail Automation has said it is having to expand its operation in the USA in order to deliver a major upgrade to train control systems on New York’s Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Rail Road (LIRR).
Two existing Siemens’ sites in Pittsburgh will be combined and moved to a new location in Munhall, Pennsylvania. Siemens also plans to create an additional 129 engineering and manufacturing positions.
In November 2013, New York transit authority MTA awarded Bombardier and Siemens a $428 million contact to bring Positive Train Control (PTC) to the LIRR and Metro-North Railroad. The package of works involves upgrading signalling systems along 1,100 kilometres of track and 1,500 trains across the two lines.
In 2008, the Rail Safety Improvement Act made it mandatory for all passenger railways to have some kind of PTC system in place by the end of 2015.
John Paljug, president of Siemens Rail Automation, said: “We have been engineering and manufacturing some of the world’s most efficient and safe rail technologies in Pennsylvania for over 25 years, and we’re thrilled to expand our footprint in the region by creating additional highly-skilled engineering and manufacturing jobs.
“By combining our current operations into one location, we can meet the growing demand for advanced rail technologies like Positive Train Control that are essential for efficient rail travel and critical to ensuring the safety of America’s railways.”
The State of Pennsylvania has contributed a $200,000 grant and tax incentives worth around $129,000 and $58,050 to support the expansion.
