$2 Million Received From SMART Program  

Authority Pilots New Automated Railcar Inspection Alert System 

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced that it has received a federal grant for $2 million from the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) through its Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants program. The grant funds an automated railcar inspection system pilot that will allow Metro-North Railroad to conduct daily Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)-mandated railcar inspections more efficiently. An automated system provides early detections of existing and future defects, allowing conditions to be addressed immediately, reducing repair and replacement time. Used in addition to manual inspections, the automated detection system will allow for more proactive rolling stock maintenance, which will save money and reduce impacts to customers.  

“Metro-North is always looking for opportunities to innovate and be more efficient in how we maintain our systems and equipment and provide service to our customers,” said Metro-North Railroad President Catherine Rinaldi. “With federal funding from SMART, we can explore new industry advancements to improve our maintenance practices, which will enhance the safety and overall reliability of our service.”   

This project was one of 34 projects selected for the SMART Grants Program out of the 321 applications USDOT received. This is Stage 1 of a two-stage program, which includes planning and prototyping. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) established this discretionary grant program with $100 million appropriated annually for fiscal years (FY) 2022-2026.