NIGP 55980: Traction Power

NIGP 55980 Traction Power is an Item code encompassing maintenance and overhaul services for electric rail propulsion systems and related truck components on streetcars and light rail vehicles. State and local governments—primarily transit authorities—solicit under this code for specialized mechanical work on drive systems, wheels, bearings, hydraulic assemblies, and braking systems that must conform to original equipment manufacturer (OEM) maintenance intervals and performance standards. This is vendor-performed work, typically handled by firms with expertise in rail vehicle mechanics and access to OEM technical specifications; the transit authority usually handles equipment removal, preparation, and logistics while the contractor executes the overhaul to specification.

Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) posted a representative recent opportunity on August 18, 2026, soliciting proposals for overhauls of CATS IV Streetcar trucks (solicitation 26920272117, due October 20, 2026). The scope covers truck, hydraulic, and braking system overhauls on Siemens trucks at 15-year / 270,000-mile service intervals, low-floor axles and wheelsets at 300,000-mile intervals, and journal bearing equipment at 6-year / 310,000-mile intervals—all to OEM specifications and standards. CATS's internal teams remove equipment and arrange shipment; the selected vendor performs maintenance and returns the components to specification. The contract objective is fleet reliability and safety through end-of-useful-life service. No contract value, term, or incumbent is disclosed. Recent activity under this code is sparse; this represents the primary publicly documented solicitation in the dataset.