USA: The St Louis city region’s Bi-State Development Agency has approved a $390·4m order for Siemens Mobility to supply up to 55 light rail vehicles.
Siemens was the sole bidder for the agency’s tender. The firm order would be for 24 LRVs at a cost of $202·7m, with an option for 31 more.
The high-floor cars are to replace Metro Transit’s ageing MetroLink cars running on the 73 km Y-shaped network in St Louis.
The deal would also cover provision of project management services, spare parts and tools, and diagnostic equipment. Siemens would also be responsible for testing and commissioning the vehicles.
Grants from the federal Department of Transportation are covering $196m of the cost of the procurement.
‘These new vehicles are significant to ensuring the MetroLink system operates efficiently and continues to provide quality service to our customers across the region’, said Taulby Roach, President & CEO of Bi-State Development, which owns Metro Transit. ‘Our existing fleet has lasted far longer than anticipated, a testament to the exceptional work performed by our MetroLink maintenance team over the last 30 years.’
