Alstom partners to upgrade MBTA signaling systems

Alstom and its partner, Barletta Heavy Division, signed a contract under which they will partner to upgrade and modernize the signaling systems on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) Red and Orange subway lines. The contract is worth approximately $90 million.

Under the scope of the project, Alstom will provide Orange and Red line signal upgrades, comprising the latest generation of digital audio frequency technology, and the replacement of the existing relay-based train control with Alstom’s iVPI (integrated vital processor interlocking), the latest generation of microprocessor-based train control interlocking.

Alstom will also supply its AFTC5 track circuits, the latest in digital signaling technology, designed with the capacity to add additional speed commands in the future to take advantage of improved performance of the MBTA fleet.

Finally, Alstom will provide its new Model 5F wayside switch machines and LED signal upgrades to the Southwest corridor of the Orange line, as well as a new, fully wired central instrument houses at Ashmont station and Columbia Junction on the Red line.

By upgrading the signaling systems on the Orange and Red lines, which encompasses 41 stations, MBTA will be able to reduce headway between trains, increase the lines’ capacity and maximize fleet performance. The project is expected to be completed in 2022.