USA: The first of 28 five-section light rail vehicles for the Purple Line in the Maryland suburbs of Washington DC has been delivered from CAF’s factory at Elmira in New York state.
Maryland Transit Administration said it is the longest LRV of its kind in the USA, at 43·2 m.
It has 80 seats and a total capacity of 430 passengers, with space for up to eight wheelchair users and eight bike racks. Features include air-conditioning, a passenger counting system and audio-visual passenger information.
Construction of the 26 km, 21-stop orbital line from New Carrollton in Prince George’s County to Bethesda in Montgomery County is now more than 65% complete, Maryland Transit Administrator Holly Arnold said when the LRV was unveiled at the Glenridge depot on July 11.
CAF is to deliver the rest of the fleet by the end of 2025.
The rolling stock order is worth more than $200m including spare parts, tools and test equipment. It was placed in 2016.
The opening of the line was originally scheduled for early 2022, but the project became mired in disputes over land acquisition, environmental approval and design changes, and the opening has since been pushed back to winter 2027.
