advertisement

---

Late last week, Miami-Dade County commissioners authorized Miami-Dade Transit to contract with AnsaldoBreda to replace Metrorail's aging rail-car fleet.

The $313.8 million contract will cover 136 new rail cars, with the first six slated for delivery in 2015 and the last six scheduled for 2017, Miami-Dade County officials said in a prepared statement.

The cars will be designed and built to provide 30 years of useful life, they said. The contract also covers spare parts, staff training, vehicle and equipment testing, a training simulator, systems integration and technical support.

"We want to provide the most reliable and comfortable ride for our Metrorail users, and this will go a long way towards improving our service," said Miami-Dade Transit Director Ysela Llort.

The rail cars will be funded through the issuance of transit system sales surtax revenue bonds, county officials said.