Safetran
 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 1920 |
| Defunct | 2013 |
| Fate | Acquired by Invensys Rail Group,[1] then taken over by Schneider Electric |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | North and South America, Europe, Asia.[2] |
Key people | J. Heimann (General Manager) [2] |
| Products | Switch machines, Railway signalling, Grade crossing signals |
| Parent | Invensys Rail Group |
Safetran Systems Corporation was a US-based supplier of switch machines, railroad wayside signal systems, rail transit signaling and rail-highway grade crossing active warning systems.[3]
The company was a major supplier of freight/commuter rail and transit signal systems with projects on CSX, Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific, BNSF, Amtrak (National Railroad Passenger Corporation), MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority), Metra (Chicago), Metrolink (Los Angeles), Metropolitan Transit, New Jersey Transit, New York City Transit, SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) and others.
History
Safetran was founded in 1920[4] when Safetran's predecessors started developing and fielding products for the growing railroad infrastructure (See Timeline of United States railway history for details about the significant development of the United States' rail infrastructure.)
Safetran previously owned Burco Services[5] which provides warehousing, purchasing, packaging, pre-assembly and total "logistics management" for construction projects.
The company was headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky.[4][6] Safetran was part of Invensys Rail Systems; however, the Siemens corporation acquired the rail company officially in April 2013.[7]
The whole Invensys company (including the Invensys Rail division that owned Safetran) was acquired by the French multinational Schneider Electric for a total consideration of $ 5.5 billion in July 2013.[8][9]
Significant applications
- The Northeast Corridor of the United States utilizes hardware and software developed with the Alstom corporation to offer an Advanced Civil Speed Enforcement System solution for Amtrak services along the Corridor.
- The Brighton park crossing and Pershing Main interlocks utilize Safetran's Grade crossing predictor hardware and software, modernizing one of Chicago's many historic (and increasingly obsolete) crossings.
- The city of Placentia, CA implemented a Quiet Zone[10] utilizing Safetran Grade Crossing Predictors, Wayside Access Gateways, Spread Spectrum Radios, and Home/Distant Link hardware and software.
- Long Island Rail Road is implementing Safetran's Vital Interface Unit (VIUs) to implement Positive Train Control (PTC) along the two lines which span Long Island as part of a consortium upgrade of signaling headed by Bombardier Inc. and Siemens.[11] The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is implementing Safetran's PTC as part of the need to upgrade the two largest commuter rail lines in the United States to increase locomotive speeds, provide additional train stations, and address the growing number of commuters.[12]
Major United States offices
- Marion, Kentucky
- Jacksonville, Florida
- Rancho Cucamonga, California
- Louisville, Kentucky
- Lee's Summit, Missouri
Safetran Traffic Co.
The Colorado company named "Safetran Traffic"[13] shares the same company logo as Safetran the rail supplier company, however while the two companies shared a common history, Safetran Traffic split from the parent Safetran Corporation, operating independently.
Safetran Traffic is part of the Anaheim, California-based company Econolite since 2006.[14]
References
- ^ Safetran Systems Co. brochure, published 2005
- ^ a b "Targeting, Sales and Marketing Intelligence Software Solutions - InsideView". InsideView.
- ^ "About Safetran" on official website (Wayback Machine)
- ^ a b Safetran history on Invelsys Rail Group website (archived, 8 Oct 2011)
- ^ "Burco Services website".
- ^ "Safetran Systems Corporation" on Bloomberg Business Week, 22 Ago 2011
- ^ "Siemens agrees to buy Invensys Rail" on The Railway Gazette, 28 November 2012
- ^ Schneider Electric agrees $5.2 billion takeover of Invensys by Elena Berton on Reuters, 31 Jul 2013
- ^ Invensys bought out by Schneider Electric in £3.4bn deal, The Guardian, 31 Jul 2013
- ^ "Placentia, CA - Official Website - Quiet Zone Update". www.placentia.org.
- ^ "Railway Age, Siemens, Bomardier Pair Up". 2013-11-14.
- ^ "Siemens Rail Automation to Upgrade Train Control Systems on Two Largest Commuter Lines in U.S." 2013-11-13.
- ^ "Safetran - Traffic Cabinets & Controllers, NYDOT, Caltrans, FWHA, TEES". Safetran Traffic.
- ^ Econolite and Safetran join forces on Road & Bridges, August 1, 2006
External links
- Official site (archived, 25 Aug 2010)
- Safetran Traffic, related company