SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has selected the WSP-PGH Wong Joint Venture (JV) to provide crucial program management support to modernize the city’s Muni Metro system.
The Train Control Upgrade Project (TCUP) will design and install a new communications-based train control (CBTC) system for Muni Metro trains throughout San Francisco’s 71-mile rail network. This modern CBTC technology will enhance automatic train control in the subway and extend to on-street Metro service, reducing travel and wait times, expanding Muni Metro’s capacity by up to 20 percent, and promoting reliability, efficiency and safety with fewer system failures.
WSP, one of the world’s leading professional services firms, combining its engineering, advisory and science-based expertise to shape communities, has partnered with engineering and architecture consulting firm and local systems powerhouse PGH Wong to provide consulting services for the life of the project, from initiation to post-delivery support.
The JV’s scope of services includes supporting management of the program; design engineering compliance and construction, including systems engineering and integration, testing and commissioning; and post-delivery maintenance support. Hitachi Rail GTS USA will supply the CBTC system for the project’s nine-year design and delivery schedule, with the new system projected to enter passenger service from 2028 to 2034.
“The Train Control Upgrade Project represents a five-generation leap forward in the technology we use to manage Muni Metro service. I’m especially proud of how intentionally we’re working to better manage risk to a degree we’ve never done before,” said Dan Howard, TCUP project manager at the SFMTA. “Our partnership with WSP-PGH Wong Joint Venture will add their vital modern train control knowledge to help us see through blind spots and navigate challenges.”
WSP has undertaken more than 60 advanced signaling projects worldwide. PGH Wong, a nationally recognized consultant headquartered in San Francisco, has led innovative signaling projects including the communications-based train control AirTrain System at the San Francisco International Airport. Together, WSP and PGH Wong have a long history of project deliveries with the SFMTA. With San Francisco’s technologically complex transit environment, this combined global and local experience is fundamental to the supplier/stakeholder coordination the JV will oversee.
Additionally, throughout the project, the WSP-PGH Wong JV will help the SFMTA enhance its organizational capacity to manage the new CBTC system.
“The success of a project is measured not just by the technology that’s deployed, but by the talent that’s created,” said Siv Bhamra, project manager and senior vice president of transit and rail engineering at WSP in the U.S.
About WSP in the U.S.
WSP is one of the world’s leading professional services firms, uniting its engineering, advisory and science-based expertise to help shape communities to advance humanity. From local beginnings to a globe-spanning presence today, WSP operates in more than 50 countries and employs approximately 73,000 professionals, known as Visioneers. WSP in the U.S.’s team of 19,000 professionals pioneer solutions and deliver innovative projects across the transportation, infrastructure, environment, building, energy, water, and mining and metals sectors. wsp.com
About PGH Wong
PGH Wong Engineering, Inc., headquartered in San Francisco, is a full-service engineering and architecture consulting firm specializing in the implementation of large, complex, infrastructure projects. A globally recognized rail expert, PGH Wong manages many of the largest transportation programs in the United States. PGH Wong’s ability to successfully deliver projects on time, within budget, and with exceptional quality has cemented the firm’s reputation as a trusted partner to clients. pghwong.com
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