Italian railway diagnostics and signalling firm Mermec has secured a contract from San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) in the US to deliver a track recording and inspection vehicle to monitor infrastructure on its 104 mile network.
The company secured a ‘notice to proceed’ with the design, furnishing and delivery of one Track Geometry Car, a project financed by the US Federal Transit Administration (FTA).
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With this contract, the company becomes the first railway supplier designing and developing an inspection and measuring track recording car to be manufactured in the US in accordance with the Buy American Act requirements.
The self-propelled broad-gauge vehicle will be derived from Mermec’s Roger MM 600 model and will be equipped with several non-contact optoelectronics systems.
The new vehicle will include the new ‘all-in-one’ integrated track geometry, full rail profile, and turnout geometry measuring system that allows data acquisition even when the vehicle is stationary.
The data will be handled and processed through Mermec’s TrackWare review and analysis software.
The car will inspect and measure the heavy-rail rapid transit elevated and subway system that connects San Francisco with cities in the East Bay, and suburbs in northern San Mateo County.
Separately, Mermec won a contract from ATM Milano to refurbish its ageing PLASSER EM60 track recording car.
As part of that deal, three new measuring systems will be installed, including track geometry, full rail profile and rail corrugation.
Image: Mermec’s track recording vehicle will be operated on BART’s 104-mile rapid transit lines. Photo: courtesy of MER MEC SpA
