The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in New York, US will begin a pilot programme testing an autonomous railcar inspection system after receiving a $2m grant. 

The Department of Transportation (DoT) funded grant is supporting the pilot that will aim to improve the efficiency of daily rolling stock inspections on the Metro-North Railroad. 

The DoT’s grant is part of the Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionising Transportation (SMART) programme which provided more than $50m to 34 tech focussed projects during its most recent round of funding. 

Catherine Rinaldi, Metro-North Railroad president, said: “Metro-North is always looking for opportunities to innovate and be more efficient in how we maintain our systems and equipment and provide service to our customers. 

“With federal funding from SMART, we can explore new industry advancements to improve our maintenance practices, which will enhance the safety and overall reliability of our service.” 

In addition to manual inspections, the automatic inspection system will support the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) mandated process and allow the MTA to detect and address defects earlier with a “more proactive rolling stock maintenance” system. 

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

The tech marks the latest upgrade for the Metro-North Railroad, which is also currently undergoing a $590m modernisation project of the Park Avenue viaduct that carries trains on the railroad in and out of New York City’s Grand Central terminal.