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June 2009
By Angela Cotey, associate editor
Whether waiting for new passenger cars to arrive or gearing up to place new car orders, transit agencies are keeping busy on the rolling stock front.
As agencies build new lines, modernize their fleets and work to keep pace with ridership demand, the car-fleet ramp-up likely will continue for some time — provided agencies can find the necessary capital funds.
Based on an informal Progressive Railroading survey conducted last month, the following is a list of agencies’ current and upcoming rolling stock purchase plans.
Bay Area Rapid Transit: Plans to purchase up to 700 cars beginning in 2014.
Calgary Transit: 14 light-rail vehicles to be delivered by Siemens Transportation in 2010, and another 24 to be delivered in 2011.
Chicago Transit Authority: 406 cars on order from Bombardier Transportation under a contract that includes options for CTA to purchase up to 706 units. Prototypes are scheduled to be delivered this summer.
Dallas Area Rapid Transit: Retrofitting 115 light-rail vehicles with “C-car” low-floor inserts manufactured by Kinkisharyo. DART has completed about 40 of the “Super Light Rail Vehicles” and expects to complete the project by November 2010. The agency also has 48 new SLRVs on order from Kinkisharyo, scheduled to be delivered in spring 2010.
GO Transit: 25 bi-level coaches on order from Bombardier, to be delivered from November 2009 to June 2010. In addition, 30 MP40PH-3C locomotives on order from MotivePower Inc., to be delivered between November 2009 and mid-2011.
MTA Long Island Rail Road: LIRR has no plans to place any orders within the next two years, but does expect to purchase about 260 M-9 commuter-rail cars and 30-plus work locomotives spread out over its next two capital programs (2010-2014/2015-2019). The M-9 procurement also will include an additional 190 M-9 cars to be funded by MTA Capital Construction for East Side Access.
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority: 50 LRVs on order from Breda, 24 of which have been delivered. The remainder are scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2010. The authority expects to purchase an additional 111 LRVs in the next several years.
Metrolink: 60 trailer cars and 57 cab cars on order from Rotem Co., with the first trailer car to be delivered in July and first cab car to be delivered in August. First trainset should be available for testing in October 2009. Delivery is expected to take 18 months to complete.
MTA Metro-North Railroad: 300 M-8 electric cars on order from Kawasaki Rail Car Inc. First six cars are scheduled to arrive in fall. Contract includes an option for 80 additional cars, which must be exercised by January 2012.
MTA New York City Transit: Taking delivery of 1,662 cars — 1,002 units from Alstom Transport and 660 from Kawasaki. So far, 1,446 have been delivered, with remainder to be delivered by May 2010.
Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corp. (Metra): Expects to purchase at least 75 Highliner cars for its electric line.
Northstar Corridor: 18 bi-level passenger cars on order from Bombardier, to be delivered beginning in June/July; as well as five locomotives recently delivered by MotivePower Inc.
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey: 340 cars on order from Kawasaki. The agency has taken delivery of the first 18 cars and expects to receive all cars by 2011.
Port Authority Transit Corp.: Seeking bids to overhaul its fleet of 121 rapid transit cars.
Regional Transportation District of Denver: 55 light-rail vehicles on order from Siemens; delivery set to begin in August, with two to three LRVs to be delivered per month. RTD also plans to place an order for more than 80 electric multiple units in 2011.
Sound Transit: 27 LRVs, seven coaches and three cab cars on order.
South Florida Regional Transportation Authority: 10 cab cars and four trailer cars on order from Hyundai-Rotem, scheduled to be delivered between late 2009 and late 2010.
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority: 120 Silverliner V electric multiple units on order from United Transit Systems; pilot cars scheduled to be delivered in December 2009.
Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon: 22 S70 LRVs on order from Siemens-Duewag, of which 19 have been delivered. Remainder scheduled to be delivered this month.
Trinity Railway Express: Four bi-level coaches on order from Bombardier, scheduled to be delivered by year’s end.
Utah Transit Authority: 77 S70 light-rail vehicles on order from Siemens, scheduled to be delivered beginning in January 2010. For UTA’s FrontRunner commuter-rail line, the agency has ordered 10 cab cars and eight bi-level coaches from Bombardier, delivery to begin in September, and 10 MP36PH-3C locomotives from MotivePower Inc., delivery to begin in July.
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority: Seeking RFPs for 64 7000 series cars.
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