Turner Engineering

What Turner Engineering does

Turner Engineering Corporation (Tenco) is a privately held, specialized transportation engineering firm founded in 1990 in California. The company provides rail and bus transportation equipment and system engineering, integration, and analysis, covering wayside train control, traction power, communications, energy storage, central control, and onboard systems across commuter, subway, light rail, high speed rail, bus, and automated people mover modes. The firm operates from a Venice, California headquarters with offices in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, the Midwest, the East Coast, and Canada, staffed by more than 75 engineers and specialists including licensed PEs, RAMS analysts, EMC engineers, licensed electrical contractors, and safety/cybersecurity practitioners. The company is SBE-certified by BART, LA Metro, and the state of California.

The company generates revenue through professional engineering consulting services delivered on a project basis to transit authorities (BART, LA Metro, Caltrain, NY MTA, MBTA, SEPTA, CHSR Authority, Edmonton Transit, Calgary Transit, GO Transit, SF-Muni, Metra, RTD, SMART), equipment suppliers and carbuilders (Alstom, Siemens, Mitsubishi Electric, CRRC MA, Bombardier, Talgo, CAF, Toshiba, Hitachi, ABB, Wabtec, Vapor Stone, USS, Woojin, Sumitomo, Nippon Sharyo, Rycon Faiveley), and consulting primes (Parsons, WSP, LTK, Systra, Hatch, HDR, Jacobs). Services are organized across eleven practice areas including railcar and systems engineering, wayside systems, CBTC, smart buses/ITS, system safety and cybersecurity, on-time performance and RAM, EMI/EMC, energy efficiency and storage, transit planning, hi-tech product development, and fire life safety.

Productized offerings include the proprietary WESS Controller (highest regen energy capture of any US ESS), the Cloud-Based Transit Signal Priority system with machine learning on historical traffic data, the Connected Bus Display software, the X-Alert Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Warning service delivered through major navigation maps, the Wayside EMI Detector, and the CityScale smart city mobility platform. Go-to-market is sales-led via direct engagement led by a Director of Business Development, leveraging participation in industry standards bodies and reputation in the transit engineering community. Notable outcomes include supporting BART Fleet of the Future to 93% on-time performance and acting as strategic technical advisor on the $6B BART Silicon Valley Extension.

Name

Turner Engineering

Legal name

Turner Engineering Corporation

Website

https://turner-eng.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Turner Engineering Corporation (Tenco) is a privately held, 30+ year specialized engineering firm delivering rail and bus transportation systems engineering, integration, and safety/EMC/RAM consulting to US transit authorities, global rolling stock OEMs, and engineering consultants, with offices across the US and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rail Transportation Engineering Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Rail Transportation (4882), Engineering Services (54133), Electrical Equipment Manufacturing (33531)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Rail Signaling & Train Control Infrastructure (Interlockings, ETCS/CBTC Wayside) (TLAJADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Centralized Rail Traffic Control (CTC) & Train Dispatching (TLAJAEAA), Passenger Coach & Multiple Unit (EMU/DMU) Maintenance (TLAKAIAC)

Keywords

• Rail systems engineering
• Transit signal priority
• Electromagnetic compatibility
• Wayside energy storage
• Safety-critical software

Headquarters

HQ city

Venice

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Engineering Consulting Services: Turner Engineering generates revenue through professional engineering consulting and technical services engagements. Services are provided to transit authorities, consultants, equipment suppliers, and carbuilders on a project-by-project basis. The company employs more than 75 engineers and specialists covering multiple disciplines including railcar engineering, wayside systems, CBTC, EMC, RAM, safety/cybersecurity, and energy storage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Turner Engineering Corporation (Tenco) provides rail and bus transportation equipment and system engineering, integration, and analysis services covering wayside train control, traction power, communications, energy storage, central control, and onboard systems. Deliverables target commuter, subway, light rail, high speed rail, bus, and automated people-mover applications, with capabilities spanning safety-critical software, EMI/EMC, RAM, cybersecurity, fire life safety, transit planning, and proprietary hi-tech product development.

Product overview

Turner Engineering Corporation (Tenco) is a high-tech transportation consulting and engineering firm that provides professional services and proprietary products for rail and bus transportation systems. The company operates as a unified portfolio centered on engineering consulting services, supplemented by developed products including the X-Alert Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Warning service, proprietary WESS (Wayside Energy Storage Substation) Controller, Connected Bus Display, Cloud-Based Transit Signal Priority system, Wayside EMI Detector, and the CityScale smart city platform. Services span railcar and systems engineering, wayside systems engineering, CBTC engineering, smart buses and ITS, system safety and cybersecurity, on-time performance and RAM, EMI/EMC, energy efficiency and storage, transit planning and development, hi-tech product development, and fire life safety.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CityScale: Smart bus and intelligent transportation system platform developed by Turner Engineering for monitoring and control of bus fleets.

Products and services

• Railcar & Systems Engineering Engineering services covering creation of specifications, designs, and project plans for railcar and onboard systems for commuter, subway, light rail, high speed rail, bus, and automated people movers. Targeted at transit authorities, carbuilders, and rail equipment suppliers.
• Wayside Systems Engineering Engineering services covering concepts, preliminary engineering, procurement support, and integration of wayside train control, traction power, communications, and central control systems for transit authorities and contractors.
• Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) Engineering CBTC and ATC system engineering, interface management, and Independent Safety Assessment services for transit authorities implementing modern signaling systems.
• Smart Buses, Smart Streets, ITS Engineering and software development services for monitoring and control of bus fleets and intelligent transportation systems, including transit signal priority and connected bus displays for transit agencies.
• System Safety & Cybersecurity Safety engineering, hazard analysis, and certification support, plus cybersecurity services including Threat and Vulnerability Assessments, Penetration Testing, GRC Advisory, Security Architecture, and SBOM services aligned to NIST, MITRE, and OWASP frameworks.
• On-Time Performance & RAM Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability (RAM) engineering services that translate service requirements into RAM program plans to improve on-time performance and reduce lifecycle maintenance cost.
• EMI/EMC Engineering Electromagnetic interference and compatibility design, analysis, and mitigation services for rail transit signal systems, railcars, and wayside equipment, using novel methods developed by Tenco's senior engineers.
• Energy Efficiency & Storage Engineering services for energy storage systems (flywheel, battery, supercapacitor, gravity) and energy efficiency improvements on rail, bus, and power utility applications.
• Transit Planning & Development Transit and energy planning, rail and bus authority specification development, and strategic advisory services for transit agencies and program sponsors.
• Hi-Tech Product Development Design and software engineering services that lead or join customer product and service development efforts, with expertise in embedded controllers, secure cloud solutions, and transportation-grade hardware/software integration.
• Fire Life Safety Expert Fire Life Safety analysis, design, and certification services compliant with NFPA-130 and EN 45545, supporting both railcar and wayside applications for transit agencies and equipment suppliers.
• X-Alert Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Warning Real-time grade crossing data service developed in partnership with a major navigation map company, feeding third-party navigation maps (Google, Apple) with active grade crossing information to warn drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists approaching crossings.
• Wayside Energy Storage Substation (WESS) Controller Proprietary flywheel-based wayside energy storage system controller designed and integrated by Tenco for LA Metro Red Line subway traction power station, achieving the highest capture of regenerative energy of any ESS in the US.
• Cloud-Based Transit Signal Priority (Cloud TSP) Scalable cloud-based transit signal priority system using existing onboard communication hardware and Tenco software to gather real-time GPS location and speed data, calculate bus ETA at intersections, and request signal priority using machine learning on historical traffic data.
• Connected Bus Display (CBD) Pilot demonstration software combining LADOT real-time traffic signal data with onboard bus GPS tracking data to help drivers run buses efficiently on G-Line BRT routes, reducing stops and improving speed consistency.
• Wayside EMI Detector Specialized detection device designed to protect rail transit signal systems against electromagnetic interference from EMU trains, wayside energy storage systems, or third rail power converters.
• CityScale Smart City Mobility Platform Smart city mobility platform by Turner Engineering focused on intelligent transportation systems, traffic data analytics, and urban mobility solutions for transit agencies and city transportation departments.

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% Customer On-Time Performance achieved by BART Fleet of the Future through reliability improvement work
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers47 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Major Navigation Map Company (Google, Apple)coreTechnology or IntegrationTurner Engineering partnered with a major navigation map company to develop X-Alert Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Warning service, which feeds real-time grade crossing data to third-party maps. The service provides drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists with real-time warnings as they approach active grade crossings.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• STV: Engineering/architecture firm with a sizeable North American rail and transit practice covering vehicles, systems, and stations; comparable scope and customer base to Tenco on transit authority assignments.
• Jacobs: Global engineering services firm with transit and rail systems capabilities including EMC and signaling; competes with Tenco on large-owner-engineer and program-management transit engagements.
• HDR: Major engineering consultancy with significant US rail/transit practice that competes for owner-engineer and systems engineering roles similar to Tenco's engagements with BART, Caltrain, and other agencies.
• Mott MacDonald: International engineering consultancy with a long-standing transit and rail systems practice providing owner's-engineer, RAM, and signaling services — competes with Tenco for transit-agency engagements, especially on East Coast and international projects.
• WSP: Global multi-discipline engineering firm with a substantial transit practice covering RAM, EMC, systems integration, and program management on California High Speed Rail — competes with Tenco on large programs while also engaging Tenco as a subconsultant.
• Parsons: Large engineering and program management firm active on transit capital programs including BART traction power facility replacement, where it works alongside Tenco as both peer and partner on adjacent scopes.
• AECOM: Large multi-discipline engineering consultancy with a meaningful US rail/transit systems practice covering RAM, systems integration, and program management — competes broadly with Tenco on transit agency procurements.

Direct peers

• Hatch: Engineering consultancy with a dedicated transit practice covering rail systems, signaling, and energy storage — comparable consulting services and customer overlap, including Tennessee Valley-style transit projects.
• LTK Engineering: Specialized rail systems engineering firm that delivers vehicle engineering, systems integration, RAM, and EMC services to transit agencies and carbuilders — overlapping almost directly with Tenco's railcar and systems engineering practice (LTK is explicitly a Tenco client/competitor on LA Metro P3010 LRV).
• Systra: Global rail-dedicated engineering firm specializing in rail transit design, systems integration, and EMI/EMC consulting; Teamed with Tenco on Sacramento Regional Transit EMI work and competes for similar agency engagements.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/turner-engineering

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Turner Engineering