Selco Manufacturing Corp. has supported transit rail systems since 1907, beginning with third rail products for the original New York City Subway. Today, our components serve agencies including AMTRAK, NYCTA, BART, WMATA, LIRR, PATH, SEPTA, Metro-North, NJ Transit, Port Authority of NY/NJ, MBTA, Metra, PATCO, MTA MD, CTA, MARTA, DART, and LA Metro. Working on a capital project? Request a quote and let’s get started. We manufacture across all transit rail categories from a single ISO 9001:2015- and AISC-certified facility in West Caldwell, New Jersey.
Transit rail items are manufactured to modernize, operate, and maintain passenger rail and commuter networks. These product solutions improve safety, efficiency, and passenger comfort.
Transit authorities and rail contractors operate under tight timelines, strict standards, and little room for procurement errors. Finding a manufacturing partner that understands those demands and can prove it through decades of work isn’t always straightforward.
Whether you’re a transit authority specifying components for a capital project or a contractor sourcing parts for an active system, this guide covers what we manufacture and why it matters for your program.
Structural Steel for Rail Infrastructure
Structural steel provides the essential physical foundation for modern passenger and freight rail networks. Key functions include:
Supporting platforms and elevated structures, including bridges, pedestrian overpasses, canopies, shelters, catenary poles, staircases, and railings.
Forming the structural framework of rail systems using tubular steel, steel plate, angles, channels, and beams.
Anchoring critical components for safe, stable operation
For transit applications, steel must meet demanding performance thresholds, including:
- High tensile strength
- Consistent weldability
- Corrosion resistance – to combat exposure to rain, de-icing salts, and humidity, agencies specify hot-dip galvanized structural steel for outdoor bus stops, catenary poles, and railway structures, ensuring a 75- to 100-year lifespan. Alternatively, steel can be provided with a 3-coat paint system.
- Ability to absorb repeated mechanical loads from passing trains
Getting structural steel right at the fabrication stage helps prevent costly field rework. That’s why transit authorities and contractors work with AISC-certified fabricators experienced in transit-specific standards.
Stations, Platforms, Canopies, and Walkways
At Selco Manufacturing, we fabricate structural steel for the full footprint of a transit station, from the elements riders see every day to the ones that work quietly in the background.
Our structural steel scope for transit rail includes:
- Station platforms and support frames
- Overhead passenger canopies for platform coverage and weather protection
- Elevated walkways, stairways, and catwalks connecting transit structures
- Signal platforms and cages integrated into elevated infrastructure
Our fabricated canopies and station steel are built off-site and shipped ready for bolted assembly, which reduces on-site labor and limits disruption to active transit environments. Our stairways, walkways, and catwalks follow the same approach: precision-built to spec, then shipped to fit your installation window.
Electrified Transit and Third Rail Systems
The third rail is the most common power delivery method for underground rail transit across North America. A live contact rail running parallel to the track carries DC power (typically between 600V and 750V), which rail vehicles collect through a shoe or collector assembly. Every component supporting that rail must meet the precise dimensions and material standards of the operating agency.
At Selco Manufacturing, we’ve manufactured third rail hardware since the original NYC Subway build-out, so we understand what NYCT, WMATA, PATH, and other agencies require.
Third Rail Components and Hardware
We manufacture the complete hardware package for both over-running and under-running third rail configurations, serving agencies across the Northeast and beyond:
Over-running systems (NYCTA, WMATA, PATH, LIRR)
An over-running third rail is a mass transit electrification method where a train’s collector shoe presses downward onto the top surface of an electrified conductor rail. It is the most common third-rail configuration in heavy rail and subway networks worldwide.
Under-running systems (SEPTA, Metro-North)
An under-running third rail system is an electrified railway design where a train’s collector shoe draws power from the bottom surface of the conductor rail rather than the top. This configuration is heavily utilized in mass transit to improve safety and protect against severe weather.
Our electrified transit and third rail products include:
- Third rail brackets in hot-dipped galvanized steel, cast iron, and fiberglass
- Third rail insulators built to agency specifications
- End approach assemblies
- Fiberglass and plastic protection boards
- Hot-dipped galvanized hook bolts
- Contact rail anchor sets (F-anchors)
- Copper connectors
Each component is fabricated to match the drawings and tolerances your agency requires. Selco manufactures all third rail system hardware except the rail itself.
Transit Rail Manufacturing Solutions
DC Power Distribution for Rail Systems
DC power distribution in rail systems manages the safe transmission of electricity to propel trains and power onboard electronics. It utilizes high-voltage wayside infrastructure to convert grid power for the tracks and specialized onboard DC/DC converters to step down battery voltages for sensitive control and safety systems.
Wayside Power Distribution (Traction Power)
High-voltage substations
Power from the main utility grid is fed to trackside substations where transformers and rectifiers convert alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC).
Standard voltages
Common nominal track voltages range from 750 VDC to 1,500 VDC for urban mass transit and up to 3,000 VDC for main-line commuter rails.
Distribution method
Power travels directly to the trains via overhead catenary lines or a dedicated third rail, chosen because DC series motors can provide the high initial torque required to start heavy trains.
Protection and switchgear
DC switchgear and digital controllers are used at substations to prevent critical conditions and instantly detect short circuits.
Transit Rail Manufacturing Solutions
Enclosures and Life-Safety Systems for Transit
Transit environments place heavy stress on equipment. Substations, tunnel walls, platform columns, and wayside locations all expose electrical components to water, humidity, temperature changes, and physical impact. Enclosures in these areas protect critical infrastructure and keep systems running.
Our electrical enclosures are designed to NEMA ratings appropriate for indoor and outdoor transit applications. For transit use, we regularly produce:
NEMA 4X enclosures
Rated for corrosion resistance and hose-directed water, suited to platform and wayside installations.
NEMA 6P enclosures
Water-tight construction rated for temporary submersion at limited depth, such as below-grade and flood-prone locations.
Fire-rated NEMA 4X enclosures
For applications that need both environmental protection and fire resistance (2-hour UL 2196 rating).
Custom cable trays
Aluminum, stainless steel, and COR-TEN steel for tunnel and bridge installations.
Snowmelter cabinets
Fully wired with integrated controls for cold-climate rail systems.
Relay rooms and signal cabinets
Housing for rail signaling equipment and signal distribution across the system.
Why Transit Authorities and Contractors Choose Selco Manufacturing
Transit rail projects call for partners who have experience in producing these components, can work from agency drawings, and deliver on time.
Here’s what that looks like with Selco:
- Over 100 years of transit rail experience: From the original NYC Subway to current capital programs across the Northeast.
- AISC-certified & ISO 9001:2015-certified fabrication: Produced in our West Caldwell, NJ, facility under strict quality standards.
- Full product scope: Structural steel, third rail hardware, DC power distribution, and transit enclosures, all from a single source.
- Made in America: Domestically fabricated components that meet Buy America requirements common to federally funded transit programs.
- Agency familiarity: Proven product history with NYCTA, WMATA, CTA, MBTA, SEPTA, PATH, Port Authority NY/NJ, BART, MARTA, METRO, PATCO, SIRTOA, MTA MD and RTA.
Transit rail systems carry significant operational and public-safety responsibility, so sourcing shouldn’t be left to chance. If your program needs a fabricator with documented experience in transit rail systems, we’re ready to support it.
Request a quote to start a conversation with our team.