advertisement

---

Houston’s Metro was finishing preliminary engineering work on its 7.5-mile downtown-to-Astrodome light-rail line in late August when its board selected three light-rail car concepts as contenders for final vehicle design.

In July, Metro advertised its Request for Technical Proposals, which included 70 percent low-floor vehicles, traction electrification, signals and communication, fare collection, and track. The board selected one favorite concept from each of the three companies that responded by the Aug. 11 deadline: Bombardier Transportation, Siemens Transportation Systems Inc. and The Kinki Sharyo Co. Ltd.

Over the next few months, Metro’s light-rail team plans to work with the companies to refine and adapt concepts into detailed specifications for Houston’s vehicles.

Companies in compliance will be invited to bid on the car project beginning in January 2001.