By awarding 189 Siemens Rail Systems a contract to modify and refurbish 21 light rail vehicles (LRV), 6364 Sacramento Regional Transit District (RT) says it will add to its fleet at a fraction of the cost of new vehicles. RT acquired the vehicles, originally built by Urban Transportation Development Corporation (UTDC) - from 1791 Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority. The vehicles originally went into operation in 1987 and have been in storage since RT acquired them in 2003. They are now needed for RT's expanding system but need to be updated to meet operating requirements.
The refurbishment will add approximately 15 years of additional useful life to the vehicles, while new vehicles are typically built to last 30 years. Siemens will also modernise the vehicle's communications, event recorders and auxiliary power systems.
The refurbishment will add approximately 15 years of additional useful life to the vehicles, while new vehicles are typically built to last 30 years. Siemens will also modernise the vehicle's communications, event recorders and auxiliary power systems.