May 16, 2023

LOS ANGELES – The Southern California Regional Rail Authority (Metrolink) awards Balfour Beatty an on-call installation service contract to deliver communication and signal systems installation services for the Metrolink regional passenger rail system.

The $60 million on-call contract allows Balfour Beatty to continue its more than 14 years of railroad signal and communication installation services for Metrolink which improves safety and regional mobility, enhances customer service and connectivity and assists in reducing freeway traffic and greenhouse gas emissions in Southern California.

Led by Metrolink’s Assistant Director of Rehabilitation Aaron Azevedo, PE, with the leadership of Justin Fornelli, Metrolink’s chief of program delivery, this contract will support State of Good Repair (SOGR) improvements across the Metrolink system, as well as support projects through Metrolink’s Southern California Optimized Rail Expansion (SCORE) program. Metrolink operates seven passenger rail lines and more than 60 stations across 547 route miles of track in Southern California. The system operates in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties and connects to Oceanside in San Diego County.

Balfour Beatty will deliver renovations and modernizations to wayside control signal systems and highway rail-grade crossing warning systems. The project also includes the installation, modification and testing of wayside electrical power services and local distribution and installation and commissioning of wayside hazard detectors, monitoring devices and communications and positive train control systems.

“Balfour Beatty is honored to continue its long-standing partnership with Metrolink in maintaining a safe and reliable passenger rail system that connects its customers across all six counties,” said Mark Konchar, Balfour Beatty US Civils president and managing director of Rail operations. “Our team of rail experts and industry partners are committed to implementing an enhanced service delivery program that is built upon safety, reliability, customer service, leading-edge technology and seamless connectivity in Southern California.”

Since 2009, Balfour Beatty has delivered 250 contract task orders (CTOs) for Metrolink where the team has safely and successfully installed, tested and commissioned specialized passenger and freight railroad communications and train control systems.

Balfour Beatty has also been responsible for leveraging the latest technologies in the installation and commissioning of Metrolink’s crossing warning devices. This includes delivering state-of-the-art grade crossing predictors, advanced preemption circuitry with public traffic agencies, traffic loops with four-quadrant, full closure railroad crossing devices, passenger facility equipment and customer information signs and underground/overhead facilities associated with various systems.

Construction and rail maintenance services are expected to commence in early July with an expected completion in late June 2028. For more information on the Metrolink improvement projects please visit metrolinktrains.com.