Transit agencies continue to expand, modernize fleets

By Angela Cotey, Associate Editor

Transit agencies are keeping passenger-car builders busy as they seek to modernize fleets, and add cars to accommodate growing ridership bases. Based on a Progressive Railroading survey conducted last month, the following is a list of transit agencies’ rolling stock purchase plans (by order size):

• MTA New York City Transit: 620 R-160 subway cars on order from Alstom Transport/Kawasaki Rail Car Inc., with an option to purchase up to 420 more.
• Chicago Transit Authority: 406 cars on order from Bombardier Transportation.
• MTA Metro-North Railroad: 300 M-8 electric cars on order from Kawasaki with an option for 80 additional cars. Also, 12 switching locomotives on order from Brookville Mining Equipment Co.
• New Jersey Transit: 279 multi-level cars being delivered by Bombardier. In addition, five MP20B-3 switcher locomotives on order from MotivePower Inc.; and 27 electric locomotives on order from Bombardier.
• Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority: 158 cars being delivered by Alstom.
• Miami-Dade Transit: Later this year, the agency will submit a RFP for 144 heavy-rail cars with an option for 54 more.
• Metrolink: 87 cars on order from Rotem Co., to be delivered late this year; plus 15 locomotives currently being delivered by MotivePower.
• Utah Transit Authority: 77 light-rail vehicles on order from Siemens Transportation Systems Inc., 18 bi-level cars on order from Bombardier and 10 locomotives on order from MotivePower; all rolling stock to be delivered by 2011.
• Regional Transportation District of Denver: 77 light-rail vehicles on order from Siemens, to be delivered by June 2011.
• Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority: 75 bi-level cars on order from Hyundai Rotem USA. In addition, MBTA is seeking proposals for 28 diesel-electric locomotives; contract to be awarded in late summer.
• Virginia Railway Express: 61 cars on order from Sumitomo Corp. of America and partner Nippon Sharyo Ltd., taking delivery of five every month through October. VRE also plans to purchase two locomotives this year with options for 18 additional units.
• GO Transit: 35 bi-level cars on order from Bombardier, to be delivered between August 2008 and March 2009. In addition, 27 MP40 locomotives are being delivered by MotivePower, to be complete by October 2008; GO retains an option to purchase 26 more.
• Maryland Transit Administration: 26 MPXpress locomotives on order from MotivePower.
• Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon: 22 light-rail vehicles on order, to be delivered beginning in June.
• Metro Transit: 17 commuter-rail cars on order from Bombardier; five locomotives on order from MotivePower for the Northstar Corridor.
• Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District: 14 gallery-style electric multiple units on order from Sumitomo/Nippon Sharyo, to be delivered starting late this year.
• Caltrain: 8 commuter-rail cars on order from Bombardier, to be delivered in October.

Click & View Selected Vehicle Stats (pdf)