Arinc to upgrade Washington Metrorail's central computer

Arinc Inc. won a three-year contract to upgrade the central rail operations computer of Metrorail, the rail transit system serving the Washington metropolitan area.

The contract was awarded by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Its value was not disclosed.

The work is a modernization of Metro's existing Arinc central computer system. Arinc will install its new AIM technology, which uses commercial components and open standards.

The AIM technology will fully integrate train control capability and supervisory control and data acquisition capability. These will improve the control and monitoring of rail operations, according to officials of Annapolis, Md.-based Arinc.

Arinc Surface Transportation Systems recently provided control upgrades for several large rail transit systems, including systems in northern New Jersey, Los Angeles County and the cities of Baltimore and Philadelphia.

Metrorail is the second-largest rail transit system in the United States, carrying 3.5 million passengers a week.