MTA selects 19 finalists for Genius Transit Challenge

Out of 438 submissions from 23 countries, 19 have been selected as finalists in The MTA Genius Transit Challenge.

The international competition, launched May 23, solicits proposals for technologies improving capacity and reliability of New York City subways. Up to $1 million will be awarded to each winner in three categories: signals; subway cars; and communications.

Initially, a judging committee of technology and transportation experts have short-listed 64 submissions for advancement to the second phase. The numbers were later trimmed down to 19 finalists, from which three winners will be named by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Proposals announced as qualifying for the finals are:

SIGNALS CATEGORY

1. AECOM, Intelligent Alignment of Service Delivery to Customer Demand
2. Alstom, Train-Centric Peer-to-Peer CBTC
3. Ansaldo STS, Video Odometry, Heads-Up Display and Augmented Reality
4. Arup, Acorn: Autonomous Car Operating Rail Network
5. Robert James, Connected Vehicles & Ultra-Wideband for Communications & Location
6. Metrom Rail, Positive Train Control System Based on Ultra-Wideband
7. Siemens, Dramatically Accelerate Communications-Based Train Control Deployment
8. Thales Group, Several Integrated Ideas to Accelerate Communications-Based Train Control Deployment
9. Thales Group, Next Generation Positioning: Autonomous Train Car Platform

SUBWAY CARS CATEGORY

10. Alstom, Upgrades to Improve Subway Car Reliability
11. Craig Avedisian, Modify Cars to Enable Trains to Have 4 More Cars
12. Bombardier, Modular Car Concept Utilizing a Common Vehicle Platform
13. CRRC MA, Technology-Advanced Cars with Shorter Vehicle Lifecycle
14. CSINTRANS, Open Information System to Improve Operations Efficiency & Customer Communications
15. Faiveley, Newly Developed Brake Control System

COMMUNICATIONS CATEGORY

16. Alcatel-Lucent, Standards-Based Trackside Private LTE Network with an IP/MPLS Backbone
17. Alstom, Multi-Service High Capacity, Flexible Network
18. Bechtel, The Big B: Semi-Automated Robotic System
19. Transit Wireless, Dedicated LTE Network to Connect Trains to Tunnel Entrances and Trackside Radios

The MTA will reveal winners during the first quarter of 2018.