Lilee Systems and Alstom Launch Systems Management Tools for Passenger and Freight Railroads Implementing Positive Train Control

Lilee Systems and Alstom announced April 16 the joint launch of a new, first-of-its-kind suite of interoperable Positive Train Control (PTC) products for rail lines.

The two companies have developed an Interoperable Train Control (ITC) solution that for the first time offers the industry a Wayside Interface Unit with Systems Management Agent (SMA) functionality. The companies will unveil and demonstrate their new offering during the third annual PTC World Congress in Orlando, Fla.

The partners’ joint PTC offering is built on Alstom’s microWIU Wayside Interface Unit and addresses two fundamental priorities — safety and smart management of railroad’s wayside signaling and train control equipment. Augmenting the microWIU with Systems Management Agent (SMA), Service (SMS) and Gateway (SMG) capabilities allows rail system operators to monitor, configure, control, secure and update their installed train control equipment and assets using a fully-integrated communications network.

The joint offering is available immediately to rail operators in the U.S. and Canada.

“Lilee Systems and Alstom have well-established track records for solving customers’ signaling and train control challenges,” according to Steve Zwart, Alstom’s director of PTC activity. “Recognizing a need to help those same customers simplify and accelerate their PTC deployments, we are now building on our complimentary core competencies and together providing a suite of tools that make the management of PTC wayside assets secure, reliable and easy to deploy.”

“Alstom is a rail industry leader with superior solutions and deep technical knowledge,” Jia-Ru Li, CEO of Lilee Systems, added. “By combining their proven microWIU wayside interface unit with our WMS-2000 communications and asset management framework, we are reducing the complexity of our customers’ freight and commuter rail PTC implementations.”

The launch of this new wayside train control technology offerings comes as freight and passenger rail operators work towards fulfilling a federal mandate for full deployment of Positive Train Control technology by Dec. 31, 2015.