METRO Magazine Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

YCON to install L.A. energy storage substation

The WESS is largely funded by the Federal Transit Administration under the Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction with funds made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

November 14, 2012
2 min to read


YCON, designer and manufacturer of energy storage flywheel systems, announced it was awarded a $3.6 million contract by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) to install a Wayside Energy Storage Substation (WESS) at the L.A. Metro Red Line Westlake/MacArthur Park Station utilizing VYCON's REGEN clean energy flywheel systems.

The WESS is largely funded by the Federal Transit Administration under the Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction with funds made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Ad Loading...

VYCON's clean energy high-speed flywheel technology will recycle part of the energy in the system by absorbing and storing in kinetic form energy regenerated by braking trains in the line and returning this stored energy to trains in acceleration in a clean, instantaneous form. This recycling of energy will save electricity otherwise wasted in the form of heat.

VYCON's REGEN flywheel system captures the wasted energy at cycles as low as once per minute and can scale up in power capacity with parallel systems.

The new WESS system will also demonstrate how it can replace Traction Power Substations with voltage levels support, lower the cost of peak power demands, reduce energy consumption, decrease resistor bank and/or friction heat generation (wasted energy), and lower power demands to the utility during critical peak power usage.

Over the next year, VYCON plans to collaborate with several transit agencies around the world to install demonstration sites that will provide real-world data for energy and power savings as well as validating REGEN's ability to eliminate voltage sag issues, and most importantly, the ability to replace chemical battery-based Traction Power Substations.

More Rail

A man sits in a passenger rail seat and looks at his phone.
Railby Elora HaynesJune 8, 2026

The Invisible Infrastructure of Passenger Flow

What a seat reservation system on Austria’s Railjet trains reveals about the future of rider experience, and why U.S. agencies should pay attention.

Read More →
Aerial view of Caltrain's electric service.
Railby StaffJune 5, 2026

Caltrain Board Approves FY27 Budget, Endorses Efficiency Measures

The move ensures Caltrain service will continue operating as usual in the near term, but long-term financial challenges remain for the rail agency absent a new revenue source.

Read More →
Alstom purchasing site for Acela network manufacturing
Railby StaffJune 4, 2026

Alstom Acquires Delaware Site to Support Amtrak NextGen Acela Fleet

The company is investing more than $55 million to acquire and improve the property and will employ approximately 100 people at this site once it is operational.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
World Cup Crowds Will Test Transit Systems
ManagementJune 3, 2026

When Routine Fails: How Public Transit Must Adapt for the World Cup

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will test transit agencies’ ability to manage unpredictable travel patterns, making real-time data and operational flexibility critical to moving millions of visitors efficiently.

Read More →
A rendering of a California High-Speed Rail vehicle
Railby StaffJune 2, 2026

California Selects Team for Nation’s First True High-Speed Rail Track and Systems Contract

The board action follows completion of track installation at the 150-acre southern railhead in Kern County, which will serve as the staging and distribution hub for high-speed track and systems installation.

Read More →
Sound Transit Sounder train
Railby StaffJune 2, 2026

Seattle's Sound Transit Launches New Sounder Railcars into Service

Alstom manufactured all the cars under a $46.5 million contract and came into service in anticipation of summer crowds for soccer and baseball.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Railby StaffJune 2, 2026

Alstom Partners With Universities to Build Rail Talent Pipeline

The partnerships include a new engineering scholarship fund at Alfred State College in Western New York and collaborations with transportation centers at the University of Pennsylvania and New York University.

Read More →
Managementby StaffJune 1, 2026

Chicago's NITA Act Moves Into Next Phase as Service Improvements Begin

Rider-focused improvements will begin rolling out across the system immediately as CTA, Metra, and Pace increase service this summer in the six-county region.

Read More →
Managementby StaffMay 29, 2026

Seattle’s Sound Transit Adopts Updated ST3 System Plan

The updated system plan incorporates cost savings across the agency, including new revenue sources and financial policies, to set the agency on a sustainable path for the future.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
An EMBARK bus going down the street.
Managementby Alex RomanMay 28, 2026

Inside Look: EMBARK Expands Fare-Free Transit Program Through New Public-Private Partnership

The OKC transit agency says sponsorship helps subsidize the Third Friday Free initiative while reducing barriers for first-time riders and boosting ridership across buses, streetcars, and river cruises.

Read More →