MARTA to spend $1B on new fleet
Written by Railway Age StaffMARTA, Atlanta’s transit operator, plans to replace its entire railcar fleet, the single biggest item on its to-do list in 2018.
The agency also plans to implement mobile ticketing and expand its wifi coverage, executives told a gathering at the annual State of MARTA address Jan. 5.
It was not immediately clear how many cars will be replaced, or on what timeline. Much of the fleet is decades old.
MARTA Board Chairman Robbie Ashe said the contract would be awarded within the first six months of this year, according to local reports.
“We’ll have the air conditioning and heating that works consistently,” Ashe said. “We’ll have better sound. There’ll be better design so they’re more comfortable for folks and move more people quicker.”
The new cars are expected to cost about $1 billion.
The agency also expects to name a new chief executive as early as March.
