Reminder: Special Metro Board meeting today to consider contract for light rail vehicle purchase

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The Board of Directors meets at 10 a.m. today at Metro HQ in downtown Los Angeles for a special meeting to consider a $299-million contract to buy 78 light rail vehicles from Kinkisharyo International, LLC. The contract also includes four options to purchase 157 more rail cars for a price up to $591 million.

Obviously, spending $890 million is a big deal and there are — surprise! — other firms that would like to do business with Metro. Thus, the special meeting.

Here’s the Metro staff report on the contract and here’s an earlier Source post on the Kinkisharyo rail vehicles (with renderings). If you would like to listen to the meeting over the phone, the call-in number is 213-922-6045.

Categories: Policy & Funding, Projects

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5 replies ›

  1. Steve,
    Did the Board approve and competing respondents / interests gracefully accept the Boards decision, or can Angelenos expect the growth of Los Angeles to be stymied once again by law suits from sore losers and special interests?

    • Hi Tom;

      I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a legislative body act “gracefully.” There was considerable public testimony and several Board members had questions about the bidding process — in particular federal guidelines about how Metro could rank bids based on job creation.

      Ultimately, they voted 8-1 with one abstention so I think that indicates there was consensus on the issue. As for the issue of legal action, I can’t predict the future but I think it’s safe to say that Metro staff believe the correct process was followed and will be followed in resolving the two protests.

      Steve Hymon
      Editor, The Source

  2. I really hope Metro approves Kinkisharyo. From what I hear, the Siemens cars are more expensive. And Kinkisharyo has a better track record when it comes to on-time delivery. We can’t afford to pay more than we need to.

  3. The Siemens P2000 cars are my favorite rolling stock in the whole system. On Saturday I waited at La Cienega for a few trains just to ride those cars back.

  4. i hope the board will consider to geting the rail vehicles for the blue line rail cars are geting oid and it is time for metro to get the rail cars for blue line and maybe for red line two!.