The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) Board Members unanimously voted to approve the Rail Car Replacement Team’s recommendation of Siemens Mobility Incorporated as the preferred vendor to replace their aging rail fleet during the April 18, 2023, GCRTA Board meeting.
The approval initiates the process of awarding a contract to Siemens Mobility Incorporated for the purchase of 24 Siemens Model S200 rail cars, with the option to purchase up to a total of 60 cars in the future. The new rail cars are modeled after a fleet currently used by Calgary Transit, located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
New rail car features include:
• High floor light rail vehicles with two-door heights for high and low level platform accessibility that provides the ability for the trains to operate on all rail lines.
• Advance infotainment system for enhanced digital and travel experience.
• Modern operator cab area with dedicated HVAC unit, heated windshield, and enhanced visibility.
• Ice cutter pantographs installed on every car.
• 52 passenger seats, four wheelchair areas, and two bicycle rack locations per rail car.
The rail car replacement project total budget currently stands at $393 million, inclusive of new rail cars, infrastructure modifications, railroad connections, engineering, testing, training, field support, spare parts, and special tooling. Support for this project comes from The Federal Transportation Administration (FTA), Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) and The Greater Cleveland RTA.
-via Press Release