Mafex members with projects in USA

◗ CAF

CAF has been present in the US market since 1998 when the company won its first contract to supply metro units for the city of Washington DC. Subsequently, the company signed new contracts to supply articulated units for the cities of Sacramento and Pittsburgh. In the latter, CAF has also carried out refurbishment projects of LRVs of Port Authority of Allegheny County.

The company has strengthened its position in the American market with its latest contracts signed in 2010 until today. On the one hand, in 2010 Amtrak awarded CAF the design and production of 130 passenger coaches for its long distance services. The order includes 25 sleeping cars, 25 restaurant cars, 55 baggage cars and 25 bedroom cars (which combine bed and luggage). The new vehicles will replace and complement the existing fleet by providing a more modern and more comfortable service to passengers.

On the other hand, CAF has become in one of the main urban railway cars suppliers in the United States. Cities such as Houston, Cincinnati, Kansas or Boston have trusted in CAF as a supplier of efficient urban transport solutions.

◗ CETEST

Testing laboratory is setting-up the structural resistance test for a bi-level passenger vehicle carbody. This project of Nippon Sharyo will serve different clients in EE.UU, among them Caltrans and IDOT (Department of Transport of California and Illinois, respectively). This is an important test as is one of the first cars to be tested and homologated according to PRIIA American standard. The tests are to be performed in the factory that the Japanese company has in Rochelle (Illinois), with a portable test bench specifically designed by CETEST for these tests. Using this kind of test rigs which can be transported to the client’s facilities has a big advantage in terms of saving time and cost and minimizing risk for the client. In addition, the client has the opportunity of following the test development with the presence of more engineers. This is the second project that CETEST will have performed for Nippon Sharyo and which precedes a climatic test for the same project that will be carried out in 2016. Thus, CETEST strengthen the relationship with the Japanese client established in EE.UU.

◗  DANOBATGROUP

Danobatgroup will supply  Greenbrier Rail Services, leader in the United States in the supply of equipment and services for rail transport, with two cutting-edge pieces of equipment for its railway axle maintenance depots. The order for a portal lathe for re-profiling wheel sets and a high performance grinding machine for axle machining reinforces Danobatgroup’s commitment to the North American market.

Both developments will give Greenbrier first level new machinery, cutting-edge technology and greater automation in its processes. The Danobatgroup order includes preventive maintenance, the installation, assembly and necessary training to handle the equipment.

For the European firm, this contract endorses its commitment to the North American market, which is one of its priorities in its strategy and where it aims to achieve sustainable growth. In fact, in 2014, the United States became the leading market for Danobatgroup in volume of orders. Danobatgroup, a machine-tool manufacturer with its headquarters in the north of Spain and production plants in Germany and the United Kingdom, has been present in the United States for 20 years.

◗ IDOM

Idom is established in USA since 2006 through AEC Engineering Company adquisition, founded in 1980. Idom has office in Minneapolis ( Minnesota) where more than 100 proffesionals are working in engineering and infrastructure projects in USA and Canada.

Idom has designed relevant projects such as  the Haleakala Observatory in  Hawai and the biggest  Central Termosolar  Plant in the world Crescent Dunes 110 MWe)a in Nevada, Wind Farms and mines in Alaska in addition to important projects in Virginia, Georgia, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and others in infrastructure, energy, building and architectural fields.

In railways and urban transport projects recently Idom is designing the feasibility study for a Mass transport system in Charleston in South Carolina. The project comprises transport and demand analisys and identification of main corridors in addition to alternatives analisys to choose best transport solution (train-tram, light railways, commuter train,..) most suitable to the main corridor.

◗ INDRA

Indra has implemented an Automatic Fare Collection System (AFC) based on the most modern contactless smartcard technology for Metro Transit St. Louis, that is best known as the agency operating the public transportation system for the St. Louis metropolitan region comprising both Light Rail Transit and Buses. Indra implemented its first AFC project for Metro in 2006 and, since then, has become a Metro’s long term AFC partner by providing renewed ticket vending and access control equipment, as well as a modern back-office for fare management and other related services.  With this new project, Indra is upgrading the Metro AFC system’s capabilities with the ultimate contactless smartcard technology, new vending and access field equipment, a modernized monitoring and fare processing back-office that integrates both rail and buses in a interoperable way, a regional back-office to set up inter-agency products and other region-wide functionalities, a Ticket Purchase Website that definitively extends Metro’s commercial channels, and finally a leading-edge Account Based System providing a wide range of new functionalities and services to easy the use of the transportation system by patrons and institutions like Universities and Colleges.

Capital Metro, Austin (Texas) transport authority, trusted Indra the design, development and installation of the ticketing system in the new line of light rail transit (LRT) of the capital of Texas.

The system consists of a “full service” automatic ticket vending systems and station, onboard and hand-held validators. The backend of the system was designed to serve and control the data, auditing, monitoring and handling revenues. Hereby, assuring the fare system implements a method for passengers to purchase and validate the fares for Capital Metro while substantially decreasing boarding time.

◗ KELOX

Kelox IRT USA, LLC, a subsidiary of the Spanish company Kelox S.A. and located in the United States, was conceived to design, manufacture, and supply galley systems for the Railway Industry in the USA and Canada. Currently, Kelox IRT USA’s main project is the design and supply of on-board catering equipment for 21 bi-level train cars to be commissioned by Nippon Sharyo for the Department of Transportation of California and Illinois. Kelox IRT USA is successfully complying with the 100% Buy America Act – a requirement for this federally funded project. A prototype of the galley is scheduled to be finished after summer.  Production will begin later this year and cars will be delivered based on a pre-determined schedule over the next 3 years.

◗  SIEMENS RAIL AUTOMATION

Siemens Rail Automation has developed a version of his Westrace electronic interlocking for the United States market.

 The new interlocking is being installed in the New York Metro, at Dyre Avenue station. The North American market is specially exigent in terms of accomplishment of own regulations as AREMA (American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association).

 The Westrace interlocking -the most-installed-worldwide electronic interlocking with more than 2,200 references- had to be adapted for this purpose to these requirements at the same time that the new security modules have been developed.

 New York Metro is one of the most exigent clients in the world and has chosen the Westrace interlocking due to its high security, availability and flexibility levels. This last one has allowed the adaptation to the requirements from the New York Metro in a record time, less than one year, a new milestone in the expansion plan of the Siemens Railway Signalling and Control portfolio to the new markets.

◗ VOSSLOH ESPAÑA

In 2003, 33 modern high power commuter locomotives were supplied to New Jersey Transit. These locomotives were completely designed in Valencia and assembled in Hornell, New York. According to NJT, they are currently the most reliable and environmental-friendly locomotives of the entire NJT fleet.

With the experience gained with the NJT project, as well as bringing its knowledge on the European diesel high-speed technology, Vossloh España teamed up with EMD to develop the new F125 locomotive a state-of-the-art diesel locomotive designed to fulfill the latest and the future environmental requirements (Tier IV EPA emission and noise regulation), as well as to improve the operational and maintenance conditions for North American commuter and intercity operators (higher reliability, fuel savings, maintenance costs reduction, light weight, etc.) and passenger comfort (lower wayside noise). As of today, twenty F125 have been sold to Metrolink (SCRRA) for commuter service in the Los Angeles area.