advertisement

---

The Regional Transportation District of Denver (RTD) recently took delivery of the first of 55 light-rail vehicles (LRVs) that will be assigned to the FasTracks fleet. The LRVs are supplied by Siemens Transportation Systems, which is building the vehicles at a Sacramento, Calif., plant.

Per an order RTD placed in 2007, Siemens will deliver additional LRVs every few weeks over the course of the next 18 months.

The total of 55 vehicles will be gradually integrated into the agency’s operations, helping with fleet management until the FasTracks program’s West Corridor opens in 2013, RTD officials said in a prepared statement. Some of the agency’s original LRVs, which entered service in 1994, have reached the 1 million-mile mark — about half of their overall life expectancy.

New LRVs also will be assigned to FasTracks’ I-225 Corridor, and Southeast and Southwest extensions. The FasTracks program calls for building 122 miles of commuter and light rail, and 18 miles of bus rapid-transit, as well as redeveloping Denver’s Union Station and adding 21,000 new parking spaces.