Prompt Service Response to CTA Results in $2 Million Contract for Ansaldo STS USA

PITTSBURGH, Jan. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Ansaldo STS – Ansaldo STS USA (ASTS USA) recently assisted the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) in restoring underground transit lines after severe flooding poured about 8 inches of rain into the baggage area of Terminal 2 at O’Hare International Airport on September 13.

The terminal was quickly evacuated, after which the water flooded into the tunnel, where it hit the third rail — the rail that carries the electricity for the trains — and short circuited the line, causing a small fire.

CTA authorities called ASTS USA, the main supplier to CTA for their switch and signaling systems, and within 3 hours after the fire was extinguished ASTS USA engineers were on site to assess the damage. The CTA signed a $2 million contract with ASTS USA as the Prime Contractor.

As a workaround to get the lines back up and running, ASTS USA personnel replaced the motors in the switch machines and train stops, and replaced all of the fire-damaged wiring cables and power supplies. This effort returned the lines’ functionality in less than 6 weeks, 2 weeks ahead of schedule.

“It is the continued devotion of our engineering and technical staff to providing expedient customer service in emergencies such as this that identify who we are,” said Dr. Alan E. Calegari, president and CEO of ASTS USA.

The company will continue to work with the CTA as they replace 14 switch machines and the operations console, which were also damaged as a result of the fire.

Ansaldo STS USA, Inc. (ASTS USA), headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, is a leader in the design, manufacture and service of signaling, automation and control equipment and systems for the railroad and mass transit industries worldwide. ASTS USA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ansaldo STS. For more information, visit www.ansaldo-sts.com.

Ansaldo STS, listed on the Milan Stock Exchange, is an International leading technology company operating in the global Railway & Mass Transit Transportation business with the provision of traffic management, planning, train control and signaling systems, and services. It acts as lead contractor and turnkey provider on major projects worldwide. Ansaldo STS is headquartered in Genoa, Italy, and employs over 4,000 people in 26 countries. In 2007, its revenues reached euro 973 M, with a gross operating margin of euro 100.3 M and net profits of euro 58.2 M.

SOURCE Ansaldo STS USA