Brookville completes M-1 RAIL QLINE order
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefBrookville Equipment Corp. delivered its fifth and sixth off-wire-capable Liberty Streetcars to Detroit in March, wrapping up vehicle deliveries to the new QLINE streetcar line “ahead of contractual delivery dates and prior to the QLINE’s recently announced May 12 start of revenue service,” the company announced April 12.
Designed and manufactured at Brookville’s Pennsylvania manufacturing plant, the QLINE streetcar vehicles will operate on a 6.6-mile loop on Woodward Avenue without catenary (overhead contact system, or OCS) for 60% of the route, instead using the Liberty Streetcar’s battery-based onboard energy storage system (OESS). Other key features of the 66.5-foot-long, 8-foot, 8-inch-wide vehicles include a 70%-plus low-floor area, station-level passenger boarding, and the capability to transport up to 125 total passengers.
“Throughout the project, our deliveries occurred an average of 57 days ahead of their contractual dates, beginning with the pilot vehicle’s arrival in September 2016,” Brookville said. “Since that time, the streetcars have been gradually undergoing testing in preparation for the forthcoming line opening.”
“We are proud to work with the only U.S.-based designer and manufacturer of streetcars,” said M-1 RAIL CEO Matt Cullen. “Brookville worked with us every step of the way to ensure the QLINE would meet its Spring 2017 operational launch. Our vehicle testing and training programs benefitted from the early vehicle deliveries, and we are looking forward to our May 12 Grand Opening.”
In addition to the M-1 RAIL order, Brookville has delivered Liberty Streetcars to Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) and is also currently under contract with the City of Oklahoma City and the City of Milwaukee for the production of similar vehicles.
