The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is taking its first step in replacing its outdated, nearly three-decade-old train control system that runs the Muni Metro subway system.
Directors on the SFMTA board Tuesday approved a $30 million contract for five years with possible extensions with WSP/PGH Wong Joint Venture for consulting services to support the train control upgrade project. Dan Howard, SFMTA project manager, said the consultant will provide services during the replacement of the old system, including the design and engineering of the new technology, staff training, and managing the project’s construction.
Howard said the system is so old that the SFMTA has resorted to asking other transit agencies for spare parts and even searching on eBay after receiving notifications from its current supplier that some parts can no longer be obtained.
The agency said the current system, installed in 1998, uses technology from the 1980s and components from the 1990s. In previous presentations to the board, Howard explained that the train control system is loaded every morning using floppy disks, which keeps the system running during service hours.
That old technology has proven to be troublesome for the agency and subway passengers as delays in the subway have mostly been caused by the current system, Howard said, especially when trains would be stuck in between stations in the tunnel and when trains get backed up while trying to enter West Portal station.
Howard said:
“That’s something that this system will address. It’s something that we expect to no longer occur after the train control upgrade.”
The new system will expand across the entire train system, including service on the street. Howard said having the new system expand on the street will allow the agency to integrate traffic signals into the new system so trains are less often stuck at red lights.
Additionally, trains would only need to connect to the system once when the train leaves the yard for service. Currently, trains are driven by operators on the street and connect to the train control system at different tunnel entrances multiple times throughout revenue service hours, including at West Portal station, near Church Street and Duboce Avenue, and at the Ferry Portal. Delays can happen if trains fail to communicate with the system before entering the subway.
Howard said:
“We believe that the service this investment in this system will make the rail network more competitive with auto trips and encourage people to take Muni.”
The project costs $700 million with the SFMTA relying heavily on state-of-good repair and federal infrastructure funds that are also needed for other capital projects that have been deferred, Howard said:
“That’s a significant risk that we are addressing by being aggressive in applying for competitive grants to in effect replace that money with discretionary dollars that come from the state from the federal government, as well as potentially a bond issuance.”
The consultant contract will need approval from the Board of Supervisors. Howard said he plans to bring the supplier contract to the SFMTA board in October.
In a timeline presented to the board, Howard said the designing of the new system will start at the beginning of next year and last 18 months. Following completion of the design, the agency plans to do an initial demonstration of the new system on the street along the Embarcadero adjacent to Oracle Park and Chase Center.
After the initial piloting of the new system, the SFMTA will move to make the upgrade to the subway system and on the street. The surface upgrades are expected to be completed by 2032, Howard said.
