Battelle to provide safety assessment of New York's Queens Boulevard Line transit upgrade

Battelle announced Monday that it has been awarded a $3.1 million contract to provide New York with safety assessments concerning the Queens Boulevard Line modernization project, which will fully upgrade one of the busiest transit lines in New York.

Implementing a new radio communications-based train control (CBTC) will give real-time data about speed conditions and vehicle position. This will help system operators to safely raise the number of vehicles on a specific rail line, heightening train arrival frequency as well as accommodating even more passengers on the entire system.

Once implemented, CBTC can decrease wayside equipment, maintenance costs and service disruptions.

Crews will start development work on the line, and by the middle of 2017, the crews will start the major installation project.

“With this $3.1 million contract awarded by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), we will perform Independent Safety Assessment (ISA) and safety certification support for the design and implementation of Interoperable Communications-Based Train Control on the Queens Boulevard Line in the New York City Transit system,” Battelle Program Manager Katherine Hagaman said.

The contract allows Battelle, the largest nonprofit, independent research and development organization with 40 years of experience in evaluating safety, to conduct ongoing, independent safety analyses throughout the New York City area.