Rail operator deploys Siemens technology for newly opened light rail line

TriMet's new MAX Orange Line, a light rail project between Portland and Milwaukie in the US incorporates Siemens’ advanced rail technologies, including its S70 light rail vehicles, rail signalling and communication systems and the company's first Sitras SES energy storage unit in the US that uses regenerative braking to sustainably power the line. The 12 kilometre line is the region's sixth construction project of the development project Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) to expand the city's transport net
September 22, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
1272 TriMet's new MAX Orange Line, a light rail project between Portland and Milwaukie in the US incorporates 189 Siemens’ advanced rail technologies, including its S70 light rail vehicles, rail signalling and communication systems and the company's first Sitras SES energy storage unit in the US that uses regenerative braking to sustainably power the line.

The 12 kilometre line is the region's sixth construction project of the development project Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) to expand the city's transport network to cope with expected population growth in the Portland area. The line will improve transit in the corridor that extends from the terminus of the MAX Green and Yellow lines at Portland State University in Downtown Portland to Milwaukie and North Clackamas County.

The newly redesigned light rail vehicles were built based on input from TriMet and passengers and include better sight lines for the driver, more ergonomically designed main cabins and larger displays for train operators so they are better able to monitor the vehicle's status to improve safety and efficiency. Maintenance enhancements were made based on TriMet's feedback including rearrangement of systems to increase accessibility to key components on the vehicles and improved diagnostic systems.

The innovative regenerative rail energy storage technology allows for energy created during braking to be stored and then re-used in one of two forms, energy savings or voltage stabilisation during peak demand times. TriMet will utilise the system in voltage stabilisation mode, which enables the system to avoid disruptions that can occur in mass transit operations if power drops below a certain level. The Sitras SES ensures the system voltage always remains within the required range and voltage-related disruptions no longer occur.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Lyft, Uber have mixed impact on San Fran mobility
    May 14, 2018
    The extent to which ride-hailing has become a real force in the mobility landscape of San Francisco is great for consumers – but there are downsides, a report finds. Andrew Stone takes a look. Uber and Lyft, the two major ride-hailing platforms in San Francisco, are out-competing local cab firms in many ways - and are firmly established as a significant part of the daily mobility mix there, a recent study reveals. Researchers mined publicly-available data derived from the application programming interface
    Read More
  • Cyber switching launch enhanced configuration on EV master controller to manage power
    November 22, 2017
    Cyber Switching Electric Vehicle Master Controller (EVMC) has released a direct input product configuration which aims to enhance capability during daytime high-demand/high–turnover charge station applications. It is designed with the intention providing electric vehicle (EV) fleet managers with more options to meet their charging needs while realizing the cost savings from managing power to charging stations. The controller, through the direct input design, can be connected to up to four independent input
    Read More
  • Sign language reduces human error says Clearview
    September 26, 2019
    Wrong-way warning systems and advanced queue detection can help to reduce human error. They can also cut road accidents – and therefore road deaths, says Clearview Intelligence Where were nearly 1,800 deaths on the UK’s roads in 2018 – an average of five people dying each day. The largest single cause of serious injury is crashes at junctions (accounting for 33% of incidents), while the largest single cause of death was run-off road crashes (30%) “With vehicles increasingly being designed with saf
    Read More
  • Vehicle ownership - a thing of the past?
    May 22, 2012
    Convergence of electron-powered vehicles with connected vehicle technologies could mean that only a few decades from now the idea of owning a vehicle will be entirely alien to the road user. By Technolution chief scientist Dave Marples with Jason Barnes Even when taken individually, many of the developments going on and around vehiclebased mobility will bring about major changes in transportation. Taken collectively, the transformations we might expect are nothing short of profound. Enumeration of the influ
    Read More

Highlighted Content