Biz Briefs covers the latest supplier news in the motorcoach and public transit industries.

In METRO's latest installment, we take a look at the latest news in Indiana, Los Angeles, and more.

Equans, Indiana’s Citilink Partner to Modernize CAD/AVL Tech

Equans, through its specialized entity Ineo Systrans USA, was selected by Fort Wayne, Ind.’s Citilink to modernize its entire bus fleet with the latest Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) technologies. 

By improving the service quality of its 45 buses, along 14 fixed routes, Fort Wayne’s goal is to offer reliable and convenient transit services. The project is Equans’ first contract in the state of Indiana.

The project will deliver a full replacement of Citilink’s current CAD/AVL system for its fixed-route services. Ineo Systrans USA will provide, install, and integrate its CAD/AVL solution, including features such as real-time service adjustment and integration of the existing Automatic Passenger Counting system.

The CAD/AVL solution will contribute to an important system enhancement to Citilink's existing fleet as it aims to improve dispatch efficiency and data reliability, optimize transit operations, and provide real-time information to all passengers. The ITS will offer Citilink comprehensive data reporting features, among which will be insights into ridership at individual stops, on-time performance, and analysis of run times. It will also provide the National Transit Database S-10 necessary data for Citilink’s reporting to the FTA.

SoCal’s Metrolink Taps Alstom for Operations, Maintenance Services

Alstom was awarded a contract by the Southern California Regional Rail Authority (Metrolink) to operate, service, and maintain their regional passenger rail system. 

The contract has a base term of five years, valued at approximately $515 million and will run from Jan. 1 to June 30, 2030, employing more than 400 Alstom team members in Southern California. 

The contract allows for a potential three-year extension, which would carry the total value of the base contract to approximately $860 million.

The contract award is an extension of the successful partnership that Alstom has built with Metrolink, dating back to the delivery of the first Bilevel coaches for Metrolink more than 30 years ago. Alstom has been serving as the maintenance provider for Metrolink’s fleet since 1998. 

Clean Energy Inks New Renewable Natural Gas Deals

Clean Energy Fuels Corp. announced a series of new deals as it continues to meet the growing customer demand for renewable natural gas (RNG), with new fueling contracts, construction of additional fueling infrastructure, and operations and maintenance contracts.

In public transit, Clean Energy’s contracts include:

• LA Metro, which extended its contract to continue to fuel its fleet with clean burning RNG. The agreement will provide five of LA Metro’s stations with an expected 14 million gallons of RNG.

• The Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE), which is contracting with Clean energy for RNG to cleanly power a large fleet of its transit vehicles. The agreement is important because NICE is transitioning their fleet of 278 transit buses from CNG to RNG. The deal will provide an expected 16.5 million gallons of ultra-low carbon RNG fuel over a five-year period.

• Texas’ Laredo Municipal Transit System partnered with Clean Energy to supply an expected 1.6 million gallons of RNG over a five-year period to fuel 38 of Loredo’s transit buses. El Metro switched a portion of its fleet to RNG in October 2024.

• A contract to upgrade the dispensers at Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s (DART) private fueling station in Dallas. Clean Energy will improve reliability and extend the longevity of DART’s station, which currently fuels 700 CNG transit buses.

• Additional contracts include partnerships with the City of Gardena’s GTrans, as well as with the City of Santa Clarita, Calif., to provide operations and maintenance services at four of the city’s fueling station sites to power 100 RNG transit buses with an anticipated 12 million gallons over the next eight years.

The Routing Co. Achieves Major Compliance Milestone

The Routing Company (TRC) announced its achievement of SOC 2 Type 2 compliance, reinforcing its commitment to data security, operational excellence, and partner trust. 

The milestone highlights TRC’s unwavering dedication to safeguarding transit agencies’ sensitive information while enabling seamless, innovative mobility solutions.

SOC 2 compliance is a rigorous auditing standard developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). It certifies that an organization adheres to strict criteria in managing data securely to protect the interests of its clients and users. 

The certification encompasses key areas including security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. It is considered one of the most comprehensive and prestigious data security accreditations available, and achieving it positions TRC among global technology leaders in data protection.