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 from suppliers including STV, Masabi, and more.

STV to Design Amtrak’s Ivy City Yard in Washington, D.C.

Amtrak selected STV to provide comprehensive design services for upgrades at the Ivy City Yard in Washington, D.C. In the most significant overhaul of Amtrak’s repair shops in its 54-year history, these upgrades will improve service reliability, enable more efficient maintenance practices, and support projected ridership growth. 

As part of a Clark-Herzog design-build team, STV will serve as the lead designer for the $480 million upgrade at Ivy City Yard, where Northeast Regional and Acela trains undergo routine servicing, inspections, and repairs. The yard also serves Maryland Area Rail Commuter and Virginia Railway Express commuter trains. 

STV will provide design management, design quality management, structural, site/civil, geotechnical, electrical, communications, fire alarm, utilities, industrial engineering, and architectural design services. The firm will also provide design services during construction, offering ongoing support to resolve design challenges and streamline the processing of submittal reviews and requests for information. 

The project’s scope of work includes demolishing and replacing portions of the outdated primary maintenance structure at Ivy City Yard, constructing a new dedicated train servicing structure, relocating tracks, and converting storage areas into service tracks. Structures built in the mid-1980s will be rebuilt with raised roofs to allow for more overhead space for machinery, the addition of a catenary system, and space to safely allow workers underneath, inside, and atop trains. 

Fuel stations will also be added for Amtrak’s new dual-power (electric and diesel) Airo trains, which will reduce the amount of time needed to transition from electrified service in the Northeast Corridor to non-electrified territory south of Washington. 

CCW to Supply, Install Wabtec vShield Driver Barriers for C-TRAN

Complete Coach Works (CCW) was awarded a contract by C-TRAN, the public transportation agency serving Clark County, Washington. 

Under the agreement, CCW will supply and install driver barriers across a portion of the agency’s fixed-route fleet to enhance operator safety and security.

The project scope includes the purchase and installation of Vapor Driver Barriers customized for C-TRAN’s specific bus models. These barriers are designed to reduce operator exposure to public health risks and physical threats while maintaining clear visibility and accessibility.

Work will be performed at C-TRAN’s facility in Vancouver, Washington, where CCW teams will ensure each barrier meets C-TRAN’s specifications, transit industry safety standards, and installation deadlines.

The Kauaʻi Bus Launches Open Payments with Masabi

The Kauaʻi Bus and Masabi launched Open Payments across the island’s transit network. Riders can now pay for journeys by tapping their contactless credit or debit card, or mobile wallet, such as Apple Pay or Google Pay, on any bus operated by Kaua‘i Bus. This offers a simple, cash-free way to ride with the reassurance of automatic daily and monthly fare capping.

The launch follows the successful introduction of mobile ticketing in January 2025 and Account-Based Ticketing (ABT) with the Holomua smartcard in May 2025, making Kauaʻi Bus a leading example of how agencies can modernize fare collection using a phased approach. With the addition of Open Payments, launched in just five months, riders now have the flexibility to pay using their preferred method—mobile app, smart card, or contactless bank card—while still receiving the best possible fare.

Open Payments also makes it significantly easier for Kauaʻi’s many visitors to use public transit. Tourists can tap and go using the card in their wallet or the card stored on their phone. For regular riders, the launch will reduce reliance on cash, speed up boarding times, and lower system costs, helping Kauaʻi Bus deliver more efficient and reliable service, according to Masabi.

The launch also features Account Linking, enabling riders to link their payment card to a single transit account. This functionality allows reduced fares to be assigned to the payment card, while also granting the rider access to their trip history and other account-based benefits.

Smith System Acquires Utilimarc

Smith System announced the acquisition of Utilimarc, a Minneapolis-based company specializing in fleet analytics and benchmarking. Together, the companies create the industry's most comprehensive platform — unifying driver training with deep fleet analytics to deliver safer, more innovative, and more cost-efficient operations, according to company officials.

Founded in 2001, Utilimarc has developed a powerful business intelligence platform that integrates data across telematics, fleet management information systems (FMIS), maintenance software, and safety cameras. By combining these insights with Smith System's training and driver risk expertise, customers gain a single partner to improve driver behavior, optimize fleet assets, and validate measurable performance gains.

With both companies now operating as one, customers benefit from:

• Enhancing the 5Keys with Deep Fleet Analytics: A closed-loop solution that connects driver behavior, operational data, and benchmarking — delivering improvements that are both measurable and sustainable.

• One Source for Safer, Smarter Fleets: A unified view of drivers, vehicles, and operations that enables precise interventions, cost reductions, and stronger compliance outcomes.

• A Broader Data and Safety Ecosystem: Building on Smith System's recent Brightmile acquisition, the combined company brings together mobile telematics, advanced analytics, and behavior-based training into one seamless platform — further strengthening the connection between data insights and driver safety.

Smith System’s officials stated that the combined company now stands alone in the market, as no other provider integrates analytics, benchmarking, telematics, and behavior-based training into a single solution.