Siemens Receives Two LRV Orders

Written by Andrew Corselli
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September 12, 2015- Portland, OR- Grand Opening event for TriMet's Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Transit Project (PMLR). Photo credit TriMet.

Siemens Mobility recently received a pair of orders for 51 light rail vehicles (LRVs).

First, Siemens won a contract for 26 LRVs from Portland’s TriMet. This order will replace TriMet’s original 26 Type-1 vehicles (supplied by Bombardier in 1986) with Siemens’ S700, “a low-floor, state-of-the-art vehicle jointly developed by TriMet and Siemens Mobility.” The contract includes options for up to 60 additional LRVs, which would accommodate  further service expansions such as the MAX Red Line Extension to Fair Complex, and the Southwest Corridor. With this new purchase, TriMet’s LRV fleet will be a fully-Siemens fleet, with the first delivery expected in 2021.

In addition, TriMet has opted to install the latest Internet-of-Things (IoT) framework to what will now be its Type 6 vehicle.

“We are grateful for TriMet’s continued trust, which began when we first jointly developed the Type 2 fleet, North America’s first low-floor light rail vehicles, in 1995,” said Michael Cahill, President of Siemens Mobility’s Rolling Stock business for North America. “We greatly appreciate our long-standing relationship with TriMet for many reasons, but one of the most important has been the sharing of innovative advancements that have directly fed into the latest development of our newest low-floor platform, the S700. TriMet’s progressive approach toward advancing Portland’s Light Rail system and providing their passengers with innovative solutions is truly exemplary, and we are proud to be able to assist in these advancements.”

Also on Siemens’ docket is an order from San Diego’s Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) for 25 S700 low-floor LRVs. The plan is for these cars to operate on the entire 53-mile double-tracked MTS light rail network, including the 11-mile Mid-Coast Trolley extension, which is scheduled to open in 2021. The new vehicles will replace Siemens’ high-floor SD100 LRVs, which were manufactured in the 1990s. The purchase will thus complete San Diego’s transition to a fully low-floor and accessible fleet. Delivery of the new LRVs is expected in 2021.

Siemens’ relationship with MTS began in 1980 with an order for 71 cars of its original high-floor U2 model. This was followed by an order in 1993 for 52 SD100 cars. In 2004, MTS started transitioning to a low-floor car system with an order for 11 S70 vehicles. The transition continued five years later with a larger order for 65 S70 cars, followed by another order for 45 S70 vehicles, which are currently being delivered.

“The standards and expectations for public transit continue to change and we are committed to meeting the needs of our current and future riders,” said Paul Jablonski, CEO, MTS. “MTS operates one of the most efficient and reliable light rail systems in the U.S., and a large part of our success is due to our long-standing working relationship with Siemens to provide best-of-class vehicles. The evolution of its light rail vehicles has been exceptional.”

“We are very grateful for the longstanding partnership we have been had with MTS,” said Cahill. “San Diego’s transit system is the longest-running modern light rail system in the U.S., and it has been a privilege to participate in its continuous growth. Through our partnership with MTS, our products have evolved to meet the needs of its growing ridership and we are grateful for the opportunity to share in the success of the MTS system.”

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