The contract is valued at $US 118m with about half the funds coming from a Federal Transit Administration new start grant. The bodyshells and underframes will be manufactured in Spain with final assembly taking place at CAF's plant in Elmira, New York. Delivery will start in late 2017.
The new LRVs will be the ninth generation of vehicle to operate on the Green Line which is being extended. The units will be designed to meet the latest disability requirements with 70% of the vehicles being low-floor. There will be four wheelchair/stroller locations as well as four perch seats in the central section. All priority seats will have space underneath to accommodate guide dogs and other mobility equipment.
The new vehicles will include crash energy management features and they will be equipped with external and internal CCTV. They will also feature dynamic computer-controlled lighting, heating, and cooling technologies to improve passenger comfort.
Later this year, MassDOT expects to award a contract for 74 new metro cars for the Red Line and 152 cars for the Orange Line.
