USA: The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority board has approved a $724·3m contract for Hitachi Rail to supply 200 metro cars to replace the current fleet on Philadelphia’s Market-Frankford Line.
A pilot vehicle is to be delivered from Hitachi’s new factory at Hagerstown in Maryland in autumn 2028, with the rest following between spring 2029 and spring 2031.
There are two $61·5m options each for up to 20 more cars, and a $1·0m option for track monitoring equipment.
‘The new fleet will offer a modern look as well as huge benefits for passengers — providing more capacity, greater reliability and improved customer experience’, said Hitachi Rail COO & Head of Vehicles Luca D’Aquila when the order was approved on July 25.
The 20·8 km long Market-Frankford Line, which is being rebranded as Line L, uses the 1 581 mm ‘Pennsylvania’ gauge and is electrified using a third-rail DC system.
The design of the M5 cars will incorporate lessons learned from the current fleet of Adtranz M4 cars dating from 1996-99. Features will include open gangways for increased passenger flow and visibility for law enforcement, longitudinal seating, accessible spaces for people with mobility devices, pushchairs or bicycles, automatic door operation, digital real-time information displays, an enhanced passenger communication system and regenerative braking.
The order is being supported by a $317m Rail Vehicle Replacement Programme grant announced by the Federal Transit Administration in February.
‘The Market-Frankford Line is SEPTA’s workhorse — moving tens of thousands of people every day to work, school, medical appointments and many other destinations’, said SEPTA Board Chair Kenneth E Lawrence Jr. ‘This is a critically needed upgrade to our fleet, and the SEPTA board will work closely with staff to ensure that this procurement proceeds on schedule and on budget.’
