The Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) has renewed its 26-year-old Metrolink rolling stock fleet maintenance contract with Alstom Group (originally Bombardier Transportation), expanding it to an O&M (operations and maintenance) contract, taking over operations from Amtrak.
The contract has a five-year base term valued at approximately $515 million and will run from Jan. 1, 2025, to June 30, 2030. A three-year extension option, if exercised, would bring the total value to approximately $860 million. Alstom’s 180 existing employees will continue to provide maintenance services and will add full operations services across the eight-line, 545-mile, 67-station Metrolink system across Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, and San Diego Counties. Alstom will hire an additional 200 operations employees by July 1, 2025.
The contract scope encompasses train operations and maintenance services, including train crewing and customer service, maintenance of the rolling stock fleet and facilities maintenance, with an option for materials management.
“This contract award is an extension of the successful partnership that Alstom has built with Metrolink, dating back to the delivery of the first [Bombardier] BiLevel coaches more than 30 years ago, the company said. Alstom has been serving as the maintenance provider for Metrolink’s fleet since 1998. The fleet includes 60 locomotives and 258 bilevel railcars (57 cab cars and 201 trailer coaches) supplied by either Bombardier (“Sentinel Fleet”) or Hyundai Rotem ( “Guardian Fleet”).
The Metrolink network also includes the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) Arrow service, a nine-mile operation in San Bernardino County linking the cities of San Bernardino and Redlands powered by three Stadler US FLIRT diesel multiple-units (DMUs). In 2025, Metrolink will begin operating North America’s first HFC (hydrogen fuel cell)-powered train, also known as a ZEMU (Zero Emission Multiple Unit), the Stadler US FLIRT H2, as part of its Arrow service. Alstom will perform DMU/ZEMU maintenance but will provide operating crews and management, assuming those functions from TransitAmerica Services Inc.
“We are grateful for the trust the Southern California Regional Rail Authority and their Board of Directors has placed in Alstom as we expand our role to support their operations and maintenance needs,” said Michael Keroullé, President of Alstom Americas. “Metrolink customers are doing their part to reduce traffic congestion and pollution, and we are committed to bringing them our experience and dedication to deliver world class service and to help Metrolink prepare to accommodate visitors from around the world during the upcoming global sporting events in Southern California.”
“We are excited to continue our transition from a traditional commuter railroad to becoming a true regional passenger rail operator with the expanded responsibilities awarded to a world-class organization such as Alstom,” Metrolink CEO Darren Kettle said. “We are grateful for the efforts and dedication of the Amtrak crews who have been operating our Metrolink trains since 2010 and the TransitAmerica Services Inc. team members who have been operating Arrow since that service began in 2022. We know Alstom will work collaboratively over the next several months to ensure a seamless transition and a continued outstanding customer experience.”
Alstom noted that it “is the market leader in rail services, supporting customers over the entire asset lifecycle with the broadest portfolio of services solutions. Alstom’s FlexCare Operate™ solutions cover the full spectrum of customer needs, including operations for all types of fleets, maintenance for the full transit system, as well as turnkey and public-private partnership solutions. Our customers benefit from reduced operating costs and increased operational efficiencies through technologies and best practices based on more than 40 years of experience operating and maintaining trains and systems. With more than 25 active operations and maintenance projects worldwide, we are a trusted partner in helping transit authorities and communities achieve their mobility goals.
“As the number one private operator in North America, Alstom offers a wide range of best-in-class scalable train operation solutions for both passengers and asset owners: from driver support to ticketing, scheduling, and time-table optimization. The Group operates all types of fleets for Alstom and non-Alstom rolling stock, and offers both fully automated and manual train operations, with train crew and station staff optimization. North America references include more than a dozen transit systems across the United States and Canada, on 35 sites, through its more than 3,800 dedicated Services experts. Its comprehensive services portfolio also includes modernization, parts, repairs, overhauls, and digital and support services.”
