Siemens Mobility Lands LRV Order from Greater Cleveland RTA

Siemens Mobility will replace Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority’s Red Line fleet with 24 S200 LRVs. (Rendering Courtesy of Siemens Mobility)

Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) has selected Siemens Mobility to supply 24 S200 light rail vehicles (LRV) to replace its Red Line fleet, which runs from East Cleveland, Ohio, to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. The contract includes an option for up to 36 more vehicles to replace the Blue and Green line fleets.

Greater Cleveland RTA’s current heavy (Red Line) and light rail (Blue and Green line) fleets are 39 and 42 years old, Siemens Mobility reported during the July 10 announcement. (The last of 60 heavy rail Tokyu cars was placed into service in 1985; 48 Breda cars went into service in 1981.) The new LRVs will feature two door heights for high- and low-level platform accessibility, which will allow for operation on any of the lines. Additionally, each will include 52 seats, standing room, four wheelchair areas for accessibility, two bicycle racks, and an advanced infotainment system, according to the manufacturer. Greater Cleveland RTA and Siemens Mobility will work together on the final design over the next 15 months before building begins at the manufacturer’s Sacramento, Calif., facility. Delivery is scheduled to be completed in four years. (Siemens Mobility, which has been manufacturing rail rolling stock in the U.S. since 1984, will open a new, $220 million, 200-acre plant in Lexington, N.C. in 2024.)

“[A]s modifications to the existing platforms on the Blue and Green lines are made, additional options may be exercised,” according to Siemens Mobility.

Greater Cleveland RTA in May received a $130 million grant to buy 60 new rail vehicles that can operate on all three of its lines, eliminating the need to run two separate fleets over the 33-mile rail network. The grant was from the Federal Transit Administration’s new Rail Vehicle Replacement Program, which was created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The transit authority’s Board Members in April unanimously approved Siemens Mobility as the preferred railcar vendor. The approval, Greater Cleveland RTA said at that time, would initiate the process of awarding a $164 million contract to Siemens Mobility for the purchase of 24 S200 LRVs, with the option to purchase up to a total of 60 cars in the future. The new railcars, it noted, would be modeled after a fleet currently used by Calgary Transit, located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Greater Cleveland RTA issued its first railcar Request for Proposal (RFP) in February 2021, but no responsive proposals were received and the procurement was canceled. It released a second RFP in October 2021, and one responsive proposal was received from Siemens Mobility.

“These new LRVs are catalytic for the health and economics of Greater Cleveland,” Greater Cleveland RTA General Manager and CEO India L. Birdsong Terry reported on July 10. “They will promote increased ridership and encourage transit-oriented development along the Red Line communities from East Cleveland to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.”

“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has provided our customers the opportunity to make necessary updates to their cities’ infrastructure,” added Michael Cahill, President of Siemens Mobility Rolling Stock in North America. “We are grateful to the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority for selecting us as their partner as they continue to enhance their community with reliable, safe and sustainable transportation. With this updated fleet of LRVs, we are proud to offer passengers enhanced accessibility, technology and safety, making their daily commutes easier and more enjoyable.”