The Cities Sprinter is based on Siemens' Eurosprinter and Vectron designs, but will meet the latest Federal Railroad Administration safety and crashworthiness standards. The tri-voltage locomotive will have a reinforced body with crumple zones to absorb energy and deform in a controlled way in the event of a crash. However, the driver's cab will be housed in safety cage to protect the driver. There will also be an anti-climber feature. To simplify maintenance, it will be possible to remove the traction motors and wheelsets independently.
The locomotives will be built at Siemens' Sacramento plant which was recently extended under a $US 26 million project.