THE City of Edmonton has selected Hyundai Rotem to supply 40 LRVs for the 14km Valley Line West which is under construction in the Canadian city.
Hyundai Rotem confirmed that the contract is worth Won 218.8bn ($US 186m) and that it overcame competition from Siemens, CAF, and Alstom to win the contract.
The 40 LRVs will supplement the fleet of 26 Bombardier Flexity Freedom LRVs procured for the Valley Line Southeast section. This 13km line from Mill Woods in southeast Edmonton to downtown was due to open in December 2020 but also remains under construction with the developer, TransEd, confirming last week that it is now expected to open in summer 2022, the third time the opening date has been delayed.
Disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic is cited as the latest cause of the delay. Construction on the project got underway in spring 2016.
Construction of the $C 2.6bn ($US 2.06bn) Valley Line West commenced earlier this year. It will run from Lewis Farm in the west of the city to downtown and together with the Southeast section will offer a 27km cross-city link. Marigold Infrastructure Partners was selected for the design-build-finance contract in 2020.
Hyundai Rotem says in its offer it has optimised the interior space of the vehicles to increase the seat ratio more than the standard specification. It has also included an onboard ambient temperature system which responds to changes in temperature to maintain a comfortable environment for passengers. The doors are also designed for ease of access for passengers in wheelchairs while an additional LED will be installed on the side of the vehicle to improve the aesthetic and enhance visibility at night.
The order is a coup for Hyundai Rotem as it seeks to expand its footprint in LRV production following success with orders in Izmir and Antalya, Turkey, and Warsaw as well as the development of the hydrogen LRV demonstrator for its home market of Korea. Previous orders in Canada include the supply of driverless light metro vehicles to Vancouver.
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The January 2022 edition of IRJ will include a round-up of progress on Canadian transit schemes.
