With Metro’s light rail system expanding, Metro in 2012 ordered new P3010 light rail vehicles (LRV) from Kinkisharyo International. On Jan. 7, 2021 Metro received the final rail car of the order at Metro’s Division 16 adjacent to LAX. This shipment completes the P3010 LRV fleet, which, at 235 rail cars, is the largest rail fleet at Metro.
The P3010s will be a major part of Metro’s system for many years to come. The cars are used on all Metro light rail lines including the A Line (Blue), C Line (Green), E Line (Expo) and L Line (Gold). They’ve also been used during testing along the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor. Here’s the breakdown:
- 54 LRVs are located at Division 11 in Long Beach, servicing the A Line.
- 30 LRVs are located at Division 22 in Lawndale, servicing the C Line.
- 56 LRVs are located at Division 14 in Santa Monica, servicing the E Line.
- 53 LRVs are located at Division 21 in Chinatown and Division 24 in Monrovia, servicing the L Line.
- Finally, 42 LRVs are located at Division 16 near LAX, ready to be put into service when the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor Project is completed.
The first P3010 arrived in October 2014, 10 days ahead of schedule, at the new Kinkisharyo plant in Palmdale where final assembly took place. The contract created more than 400 jobs, exceeding Kinkisharyo’s contractual requirements and contributing more than $200 million in wages and benefits to the local economy.
The P3010s are high floor cars equipped with state of the art technology and feature various upgrades over Metro’s previous light rail fleets to improve the passenger experience. Among the improvements: a new communications system so passengers can better reach train operators, passenger information displays and new LED Lighting to clearly illuminate the passenger compartments.
Featured in photo: Russell Bradshaw, Metro P3010 Project Manager; Ray Saito, Metro P3010 Deputy Project Manager; Annie Yang, Metro Rail Vehicle Acquisition Senior Director; Victor Ramirez, Metro Procurement/VCM Deputy Executive Officer; Yasuaki Shimizu, Kinkisharyo P3010 Project Manager; Masaya Wakuda, Kinkisharyo International Vice President.
The total approved budget for this contract was $1.02 billion and the cars were delivered on-time and on-budget.
Metro’s P3010 Project Team would like to recognize the great partnership with Metro’s Vendor Contract Management/Procurement Team on working tirelessly to support the project. The P3010 Project Team extends a special thanks to Mr. Victor Ramirez who served as the original Contract Administrator during the project solicitation phase in 2011 and then provided the teams guidance throughout the project phases for the past nine years. Victor has supported and witnessed the project from initial award all the way to the last vehicle shipment.
Categories: Projects
We really hope Metro can reconfigure all the passenger seats to become facing the aisle, i.e., the back of EVERY passenger seat is along the length of the train. Not only does it make sense (there will be no such issue of feeling moving backwards), it will also be a much better use of space.
Hi Jason —
The seating on our new subway cars that are on order are more aisle-facing. Please see this gallery with renderings: https://lametro.smugmug.com/Projects/New-vehicles-for-RedPurple-Line-subway/. The seating on the light rail vehicles will stay as is unless there is a major overhaul in the future.
Steve Hymon
Editor, The Source
How many years does Metro expect each new LRV to operate?
Hi Steven;
The new vehicles are designed for 30 years of service life if all recommended routine and preventative maintenance are followed.
Steve Hymon
Editor, The Source
What happens to the plant now ? The only line that seems to be approved in the future is the ESFV line. WSAB should follow behind that. Not sure if more cars are needed for the Foothill Gold Line extensions to Pomona and then Montclair.
Any thought they can build LRV for other cities? Hate to see plants go mothballed like this.
Amtrak has same problem- a plant built a limited order of Viewliners and the Liberty High Speed trains and then those plants sit empty until some other city or agency orders something. This is the painful fact of rail transit and service in this country.
Hi Mark;
What happens to the plant is to be determined. My understanding is it depends on how Kinkisharyo does at winning other contracts. As for these 235 cars, they will adequately cover our existing light rail lines plus the Crenshaw/LAX Line and L Line (Gold) extension to Pomona. Another procurement would be required for other future light rail lines – such as WSAB and East San Fernando.
Steve Hymon
Editor, The Source
I remember riding down I-105 and seeing 1001 for the first time on its acceptance test around midnight back in 2015. Time flies by. Good memories and more to come!