ETA Transit Systems has been awarded a contract by Amtrak to furnish, deliver, install, integrate, test and commission a key upgrade of the Passenger Information and Display System (PIDS) for Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner service in California. The upgraded PIDS will feature a new Mobile Information Terminal, integrating transit-grade, commercial off-the-shelf hardware and ETA's flagship software product, Spatial Positioning on Transit (SPOT), into Amtrak's legacy train tracking system. The result will be real-time train location information driving the Amtrak California PIDS.
According to Steve McDowell, Amtrak's director C&S, Western Division, "ETA is providing us with brand-new, COTS hardware that integrates with our legacy system. Amtrak's legacy Mobile Information Terminals (MITs) are beyond their useful service life and this upgrade saves us from having to replace the entire system all at once."
John Maglio, president of ETA Transit Systems, added, "This upgrade is an excellent example of how SPOT fits seamlessly into existing systems and provides a significant increase in capability and reliability. This is definitely a 'more bang for the buck' solution for Amtrak and Caltrans."
Amtrak's busy Pacific Surfliner Corridor serves Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, San Diego and intermediate cities, with links to numerous local transit services.
