M1 streetcar vendor not finalized, says spokesman

Reports that Detroit's public-private partnership overseeing construction of the Motor City's M1 (or M-1) initial streetcar line has selected Ostrava, Czech-Republic-based Inekon Trams, a.s., for streetcar vehicles are not quite accurate, a spokesman for the project asserts.

The contract reportedly includes delivery of “three sets of trams” by the end of 2016’s third quarter, presumably equaling six individual cars per previous needs specified by the partnership.

But a spokesman for M1, contacting Railway Age by email on Friday, Oct. 10, 2014, objected to the magazine’s initial take on the matter and said such a conclusion was premature.

“We are currently in negotiations with our preferred vendor and due to federal procurement policies we are not able to disclose the names of vendors we are in negotiations with until agreements have been finalized,” said James Canning, a media relations manager for M-1 RAIL.

Canning deemed a reported $650 million cost estimate floated for the streetcars as “grossly inaccurate, especially since the entire project is less than $200 million.”

An industry observer noted that $650 million Czech koruna (crowns) is roughly equivalent to $30 million, “which makes a lot more sense in terms of cost per vehicle, as well as the overall estimated cost of the project.” Alameda, Calif.-based Stacy and Witbeck, Inc. was named construction manager and general contractor for the 3.3-mile, $137 million project last July.

Inekon Trams is part of Inekon Group, the latter no stranger to the growing U.S. streetcar market. Seattle and Tacoma, Wash., Portland, Ore., and Washington, D.C. have purchased from the Czech-based manufacturer, though the latter two have opted for other manufacturers in subsequent streetcar purchases.

Any purchase of streetcars from the M1 project lags behind construction, now ongoing along Detroit’s Woodward Avenue, which began late last July.

Other bidders competing for the M1 vehicle contract have included Siemens Mobility and CAF USA.