Alvaro Senador-Gomez, Siemens Mobility’s new President of Rail Infrastructure in North America, kicked off Railway Interchange with Railway Age to talk high-speed rail in the U.S., digitalization, and the company’s latest signaling and communications technology. Siemens is one of nearly 500 exhibitors at the May 20-23 event, hosted by Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association (REMSA), Railway Supply Institute (RSI), and Railway System Suppliers, Inc. (RSSI) in Indianapolis.
A civil engineer by trade, Senador-Gomez worked on such mega projects as the Zaragoza Tramway in Spain, along with the Riyadh Metro project and the Haramain High Speed Railway in Saudi Arabia before joining Siemens three years ago. In April, he transitioned from Spain, where he most recently served as CEO of Southwest Europe, to the U.S. to head up Rail Infrastructure for North America.
What is Senador-Gomez’s vision for the division? “The pillars driving our Rail Infrastructure business include the continued expansion of our freight business for the next generation, which means digitalization,” he tells Railway Age. “The U.S. freight rail network moves 1.6 billion tons of goods per year across 140,000 miles of track. The key is to increase capacity and do it sustainably and faster. So as part of our strategy, what we have to do is focus on digitalization. The second pillar is expanding our passenger business; we have an important footprint in New York City with our CBTC (communications-based train control) technology. We have several lines in operation, as well as traffic control centers, for our customer MTA. The technology is now being implemented on the 8th Avenue line. Another pillar for us is the introduction of high speed. With Brightline West, we are going to be the first to implement high speed in the United States. We have been awarded a contract for 10 American Pioneer 220 trainsets—220 stands for their maximum speed in miles per hour. In parallel, we are developing, with Brightline, the design for the electrification, and signaling and communication systems.”
Siemens is building a new plant in Horseheads, N.Y., to manufacture those trainsets for Brightline West, which will run 218 miles between Las Vegas and Southern California. Described as “North America’s first true high-speed rail production facility,” the 300,000-square-foot plant represents an approximately $60 million investment and is expected to employ 300 workers, many of whom will be represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. Production is expected to begin in 2026. Heavy construction on the rail line is slated to start this year.
Among the latest technologies Siemens is showcasing at Railway Interchange is the S-80 Grade Crossing Gate Mechanism (download fact sheet below). Fully programmable, it no longer includes mechanical cams and contacts to maintain, according to the company. It offers six digital contacts, two of which are dedicated for gate position indication and control of the flashing lights. Additionally, it uses a brushless D.C. motor that Siemens says offers “advanced motor control that provides soft start/soft stop operation reducing the need for periodic maintenance and dramatically improving the life expectancy of the entire gate assembly.”
The S-80 Grade Crossing Gate Mechanism can now be equipped with an optional digitalization package that offers wireless and Wi-Fi capability that enable wireless gate control, local maintainer connectivity, and full networking capability without the need for additional underground cabling, according to the company. The package also offers an Automated Counterweight Assistant feature that Siemens says “takes installers through a counterweight calibration cycle to ensure the optimum horizontal and vertical torques are achieved with every installation.”
Also on display is the S-80 Gate Mechanism Remote Monitoring Concept (download fact sheet below) that Siemens says uses a wireless mesh network “to reliably transmit real-time data from each S-80 gate at the crossing to an aggregation hub in the signal housing, where the data is subsequently sent to the cloud for comprehensive analysis.” This technology, the company notes, eliminates the need for on-site personnel to determine crossing gate health.
Among the S-80 Gate Mechanism Remote Monitoring Concept’s features:
- “Enhanced Safety: Detailed alarms for a quicker response to field issues.
- “Reduced Mean Time to Repair (MTTR): Step-by-step troubleshooting and testing instructions in the field.
- “Asset Management: Comprehensive health dashboard of all S-80 gates.
- “Cloud-Based Data Insights: Access and analyze current and historical data.
- “Data Access: Tailored mobile app for field and web app for back-office.
- “Predictive Maintenance: Advanced AI algorithms to warn of hardware degradation.”
Siemens’ GCP5000 Grade Crossing Predictor (download fact sheet below) is another booth highlight. This fully integrated crossing warning system is said to combine the following features without requiring inter-connected wiring:
- “Up to six GCP 5000 track circuits, including Intelligent Processor Island and DAXes.
- “Two SSCC-3i modules capable of providing up to 40 amps of lamp energy and control up to four gates.
- “Enhanced Display with Integrated Programming of SEAR, Track Monitoring, and Log information.
- “Ethernet Port on Chassis for eSSR Radio, Vital Communications, and PTC applications.
- “One SEAR-2i Event Recorder/Analyzer with automated inspection and reporting capability.
- “Built-in vital ATCS communication protocol for advanced applications.
- “Multiple vital timers and vital and gates.
- “Digital Terminal Display for configuring, calibrating, diagnostics, and troubleshooting.
- “Ethernet Ports for connection to Ethernet-based vital communication devices.
- “USB ECD storage of SEAR and Display parameters.
- “Built-in support for configuration, calibrating, diagnostics, and troubleshooting.”
Senador-Gomez tells Railway Age that Siemens is now developing grade crossing gate cameras that will use AI (artificial intelligence) instead of ground-embedded induction loops to detect foreign objects approaching the gates. “Smart filtering,” he says, will reduce false alarms.
Siemens recently partnered with wireless data network developer Ondas Networks to upgrade the legacy 900 MHz communications network at Chicago’s Metra with Siemens’ Airlink wireless networking equipment. The technology is fully compliant with the new IEEE 802.16t (dot16) standard, which has been adopted by the Association of American Railroads, allowing it to “deliver secure, wide area, broadband, end-to-end IP connectivity for mission critical rail operations,” according to Siemens.
The Airlink MC-IoT technology, showcased at Railway Interchange, consists of a “family of software-defined base station and remote radios with unique capabilities to minimize overhead and to maximize data throughput,” Siemens explains. It enables railroad operators “to realize a substantial reduction in the amount of spectrum required to enable current and future applications,” the company notes. Additionally, the combination of “high transmit power, excellent receiver sensitivity, and flexible channel sizes and frequencies, allows for exceptional range in a point-to-multipoint wireless data system with non-line-of-sight connectivity for 30-plus miles.” (Download fact sheet below.)
To learn more about Siemens’ latest products, including its Trainguard EOT, visit booth 515. And don’t miss the official opening in late summer or early fall of the company’s newest U.S. manufacturing plant. Slated to create more than 500 jobs by 2028, the Lexington, NC, facility will join current ones in Sacramento and McClellan Park, CA; Alpharetta, GA; Louisville and Marion, KY; Pittsburgh, PA; New Castle, DE; and New York to handle growing business.
Further Reading:
Siemens Mobility is involved in a variety of North American projects—from providing Airo™ trains for Amtrak, Venture trainsets for VIA Rail Canada, Dual-Mode Charger and electric-battery locomotives for MTA Metro-North Railroad, and Northlander trainsets for rail service between Toronto and Timmins in Canada, to supplying S700s for Phoenix’s South Central Extension/Downtown Hub and California’s OC Streetcar system, S200 Light Rail Vehicles for Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, and Type 6 LRVs for Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon. Additionally, the company is on the short list for up to 53 new high-floor LRVs for the City of Edmonton in Canada. It also recently delivered Venture cars for deployment across the Amtrak San Joaquins service.
