Rhomberg Sersa Canada awarded three-year milling services contract from TTC

Nov. 30, 2018

Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has awarded a three-year contract to Rhomberg Sersa Canada Ltd. to provide rail milling services for TTC's subway network.

In June, the TTC Board approved the C$11.26 million (US$8.48 million) contract. Rhomberg Sersa Canada says this will be the first time a mobile milling unit is used to re-profile rail under a North American contract. 

Rhomberg Sersa explains that the milling process can take off as little as 0.1mm and as much as 1.5mm of metal in a single pass with an automatic surface finish of maximal 5 microns or less restoring the rail to a perfect finish.

"In addition, a huge benefit of milling, especially when working in tunnels, in urban or wooded, dry rural areas is the 'shaving/planing' process compared to the abrasive grinding system, which does not create either dust or sparks. This eliminates the high risk of fire in tunnels and dry areas," Rhomberg Sersa said in statement regarding the work. 

The company also noted that work will be carried out in a partnership with Linmag, a sister company of the milling train manufacturer Linsinger. The milling unit was shipped from Austria and has arrived in Toronto where it will undergo initial testing before it begins work, which is estimated to begin in December. 

About the Author

Mischa Wanek-Libman | Editor in Chief

Mischa Wanek-Libman serves as editor in chief of Mass Transit magazine. She is responsible for developing and maintaining the magazine’s editorial direction and is based in the western suburbs of Chicago.

Wanek-Libman has spent more than 20 years covering transportation issues including construction projects and engineering challenges for various commuter railroads and transit agencies. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content. 

She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and serves as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.  

She is a graduate of Drake University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a major in magazine journalism and a minor in business management.