Siemens is to supply an additional 30 light rail vehicles (LRVs) for Seattle’s public transport operator Sound Transit.
The agency’s board of directors today (May 3) approved the order which will provide the necessary capacity for the opening of Sound Transit’s Link extension projects to Federal Way and Redmond in 2024.
The deal, which is worth $131 million, is an option left over from an order placed in 2016 for 122 vehicles. Sound Transit said it would allow it to take advantage of a lower unit price.
Manufactured in Sacramento, California, the additional LRVs are scheduled to arrive no later than 18 months after final delivery of a previous order – the first of which will be delivered in 2019.
Sound Transit chief executive Peter Rogoff added: “Ordering more Link cars earlier than planned is just one example of how we’re moving aggressively forward to build a light rail network that will serve up to 188 million riders a year by 2040.
“By the time pre-revenue testing begins in 2024 on the first two Link extensions approved by voters last November, we’ll be ready.”
The total number of LRVs procured under Sound Transit’s contract with Siemens is 152.
