M.C. Dean recently completed the Alexandria Yard Automatic Train Control (ATC) System Replacement project, a Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) capital improvement program replacing 30-year-old infrastructure.
“Our modular delivery approach enabled a seamless phase-out of legacy systems with minimal disruption to day-to-day operations,” said Bob Link, vice president of Automation Systems. “We were able to work with Metro to modify the schedule and expedite manufacturing, design and testing to accommodate the changes and deliver the project 17 months ahead of schedule, ultimately providing safer, more reliable and sustainable transit for Metro’s valued ridership.”
Innovation: M.C. Dean developed the new zone-based train control system comprised of four modular rooms–designed, manufactured, and tested at the company’s ModularMEP™ manufacturing facility–installed in a retro-fitted Metro site. We also integrated the electrical backbone and ancillary assemblies, including switches, signals, track circuits, and snow melters.
Safety: M.C. Dean replaced relay-based systems with controllers equipped with independent processing logic, providing Metro personnel with improved remote monitoring and control of train movement enhancing safety during operations and maintenance.
Reliability: M.C. Dean divided the centralized system into eight controllable zones, allowing the rest of the rail yard to continue normal operations during the phased systems upgrade and replacement of field infrastructure. This approach provides future resiliency of the system if one of the control rooms experiences an outage or requires emergency maintenance.
Sustainability: The ATC replacement project also optimized sustainability by maximizing usable space, condensing the delivery timeframe, and reducing waste through careful multi-trade coordination and offsite manufacturing.
M.C. Dean is Building Intelligence®. We design, build, operate, and maintain cyber-physical solutions for the nation’s most recognizable mission critical facilities, secure environments, complex infrastructure, and global enterprises. The company’s capabilities include electrical, electronic security, telecommunications, life safety, automation and controls, audio visual, and IT systems. M.C. Dean is headquartered in Tysons, Virginia, and employs more than 5,800 professionals who engineer and deploy automated, secure, and resilient power and technology systems; and deliver the management platforms essential for long-term system sustainability.
