Amsted Rail Transit will partner with Alstom Transportation Inc. to supply 200 new multilevel railcars for Metra, which provides regional rail service within the Chicago area.
In January 2021, the Metra Board of Directors approved the purchase of 200 railcars from Alstom with an option to purchase up to 300 additional cars. The cars are a custom Coradia Duplex model that will be assembled in Hornell, N.Y.
Amsted Rail Transit will provide complete, assembled bogie systems, plus couplers, draft gears and crash energy management systems for the cars. Alstom will then integrate the components and bogie systems into its railcars at the Hornell facility.
“This program will make Amsted Rail the only U.S. provider of cast steel bogie designs with the in-house capability to provide the complete assembled bogie, fully validated with all product static and dynamic testing – literally rolling the full system under Alstom’s newly designed state-of-the-art Metra cars,” said Matt Cook, chief operating officer for Amsted Rail Truck and End-of-Car Systems. “It’s two industry leaders optimizing efficiencies.”
Amsted Rail expanded its business into the transit market in 2017 and the company explains the addition of its bogies to Alstom’s railcar will ensure Metra can deliver a smoother, safer riding experience while at the same time enhancing fleet operational performance.
“We’re proud to ally with Alstom and advance the future of U.S. railroad infrastructure,” said Cook. “Together, our complementary strengths promise unparalleled passenger service to millions of riders.”
