Grand Central
When Railware started working with Metro North in 1994, its trains were controlled by mechanical, custom-built hardware with physical push buttons. Metro North was in fact maintaining two systems, not one: everything north of 125th street was controlled by one system and 125th to Grand Central by another. The system was hard wired, making changes practically impossible and prohibitively expensive; you couldn’t replace equipment without changing the entire system.
After changing over the entire North system, Railware was brought in as part of the East Side Access project to redo the South system at Grand Central—the most complex train station in the world.
Unifying train traffic and control
Railware completely changed how Metro North operates: a unified system that controls every station and train on Metro North’s three lines—Harlem, Hudson, and New Haven—down to Grand Central. Now a train operator can follow a train on a single screen as it travels from Grand Central up to Poughkeepsie. It’s easier to use. It dramatically reduces training costs. And it even helps Metro North maintain payroll, keeping track of every movement for every train on one system.
Built to last
Most important, Railware’s set up for the future. The flexibility of Dispatch X allows Metro North to independently create and manage entire rail lines at no additional cost. The system for controlling East side access under Grand Central is ready fully a decade ahead of schedule. And we’re constantly improving.
Twenty years on, Railware keeps Metro North moving through four cycles of capital investment and beyond.