The Metro Board’s Systems Safety and Operations committee on Thursday moved a $299-million contract for 78 new light rail vehicles with Kinkisharyo International LLC to the full Metro Board for their consideration. The committee, as is often the case, declined to make a recommendation on the item.
The contract includes four options for the purchase of 157 additional light rail vehicles for $591 million. Here’s a post about the contract from last week that includes renderings of the new vehicles.
Categories: Projects
I do agree that the red line train should be replaced or at least fix the air conditioning in them. These trains get so hot its uncomfortable riding them.
Whats wrong with the older blue line trains? Instead of buying new ones, keep the older ones until they dont run anymore. If metro buys these new vehicles I’m sure there gonna raise the fare to make up for there cost. Old or new train, they breakdown regardless of age.
The line that needs an overhaul is Blue Line, and I don’t mean just the old cars, but the whole system (electrical sub-stations, etc.) seems to be breaking down more often as time passes.
Metro has replacing the old smelly original KinkiSharyo as top priority as the are near (or beyond) their design life. They either have to completely overhaul and rebuild them, or replace them with new cars. Considering the size of the order, I think they will retire the old Blue line fleet.
The new cars won’t be like the models in Seattle. I believe they are wider than our specs require. Also, they are low-floor tech cars and that adds to the huge “spaciousness” feel of the cars. The new Kinki cars will look more like our existing fleet because it is a consequence of our specs: narrow, high-floor above truck/boogie, and length to accommodate our current 1-2-3 car configuration.
It is great that Metro is considering the purchase of new light rail trains for I assume the Gold and Blue lines. But when are they going to replace the constantly broken down trains of the Red and Purple lines, which I have heard from a metro employee have not been replaced since the 90’s. I do not know how a major transportation system such as Metro can operate with such 20 year old trains that are constantly out of service and breaking down. I think it is great that Metro is building new lines, but how about updating the trains they have now if they want to increase passengers and get people in LA out of their cars. How about it Metro!!!
Hi Tom;
These are light rail cars that may be used throughout the Metro light rail system.
The vehicles used on the subway are different types of cars in several ways. While the vehicles being used are definitely not brand new, they are well maintained and breakdowns of the vehicles are rare considering the heavy usage they get. In time, like everything else, they will need to be replaced.
It should be noted, too, that service delays on the subway occur for all sorts of the reasons. The delay last month at Union Station, for example, involved a track switch at Union Station.
Steve Hymon
Editor, The Source
While I would certainly appreciate the fact that there will be more interior space than the current Gold Line vehicles, I hope these cars are not the same as the huge ones Kinkisharyo built for Seattle’s LINK Light rail ( http://www.kinkisharyo.com/media/pdf/seattle.pdf ).
Those cars are spacious inside, but are so big they just feel slow as the rock back and forth on the tracks ( http://steven-white.com/2011/11/03/lessons-from-seattle-part-1-airport-transit/ ). Their version of TAP is aptly called “ORCA” because it sure feels like you’re riding a huge whale.
LA’s trains feel much sleeker and quicker and I hope it stays that way. Of course, it’s hard to tell the specifications from just the renderings.
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I hope Blue Line is going to use the new vehicle to replace its current vehicle.
I like the look of the new KinkiSharyo vehicles (at least as they appear in the illustrations) and I hope that the Metro Board will approve these with no distractions.