Hart says it will lay around 225km of track using around 11,800 tonnes of rail as part of the $US 5.16bn project.
The section from East Kapolei to Aloha Stadium is expected to open in 2017, with the remainder of the line to Ala Moana Centre scheduled for commissioning in 2019. Weekday ridership on the 21-station line is expected to reach 119,600 by 2030. Services will operate between 0400 and 0000 seven days a week with trains running at five-minute intervals during the peak and every 11 minutes at other times.
Hart also confirmed that AnsaldoBreda has begun production of rolling stock for the line at its Pistoia plant in Italy, with deliveries scheduled to start in mid-2016. AnsaldoBreda and Ansaldo STS will supply 20 four-car trains under the $US 1.33bn design-build-operate-maintain core systems contract, which was awarded to the Ansaldo Honolulu joint venture in December 2011. Each will train accommodate up to 800 passengers.
