Alstom to provide operations and maintenance services for Metrolink in Southern California
Alstom has provided maintenance for Metrolink for the past 26 years; this contract expands Alstom’s scope to also include operations of Metrolink’s rolling stock fleet in Southern California.
Alstom anticipates retaining 180 and hiring upwards of 200 employees to support Metrolink’s operations.
The base contract is for 5 years and is valued at 515 million USD (490 million EUR).
9 December 2024 – Alstom, global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, today announced that it has been awarded a contract by the Southern California Regional Rail Authority (Metrolink) to operate, service, and maintain their regional passenger rail system. The contract has a base term of five years, valued at approximately $515 million USD (€490 million EUR) and will run from January 1, 2025, to June 30, 2030, employing more than 400 Alstom team members in Southern California. The contract allows for a potential three-year extension, which would carry the total value of the base contract to approximately $860 million USD (€817 million EUR).
This contract award is an extension of the successful partnership that Alstom has built with Metrolink, dating back to the delivery of the first Bilevel coaches for Metrolink more than 30 years ago. Alstom has been serving as the maintenance provider for Metrolink’s fleet since 1998.
“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.”
Alstom employees will continue to provide maintenance services for Metrolink and will now provide full operations services across the Metrolink system, totalling more than 545 service line miles. The Alstom team will mobilize more than 200 employees for the operation of Metrolink services beginning 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. With this contract, Alstom consolidates its position as the leading private provider of Operations and Maintenance services in North America.
A safe, convenient alternative to driving Metrolink regional passenger rail service offers reliable, safe, affordable, and environmentally sustainable transportation throughout an interconnected six-county network. Metrolink has 545.6 total service line miles and 67 stations across Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, and San Diego counties, connecting people, communities, and businesses and serving as an essential link in the region’s mobility landscape. The Metrolink service fleet consists of 258 passenger rail cars, including 57 cab cars and 201 coaches, and 60 locomotives.
The Metrolink transportation network also includes Arrow service, a nine-mile operation in San Bernardino County linking the cities of San Bernardino and Redlands powered by three Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs). In 2025, Metrolink will welcome North America’s first hydrogen-powered train, also known as a ZEMU (Zero Emission Multiple Unit) as part of its Arrow service. Alstom will not be responsible for DMU/ZEMU maintenance but will provide the operating crews and management for Arrow service.
“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.”
The number one private operator in North America Alstom 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.
ALSTOM™ and FlexCare Operate™ are protected trademarks of the Alstom Group.
About Alstom
Alstom commits to contribute to a low carbon future by developing and promoting innovative and sustainable transportation solutions that people enjoy riding. From high-speed trains, metros, monorails, trams, to turnkey systems, services, infrastructure, signalling and digital mobility, Alstom offers its diverse customers the broadest portfolio in the industry. With its presence in 64 countries and a talent base of over 84,700 people from 184 nationalities, the company focuses its design, innovation, and project management skills to where mobility solutions are needed most. Listed in France, Alstom generated revenues of €17.6 billion for the fiscal year ending on 31 March 2024. For more information, please visit www.alstom.com.
