The trains will be assembled at the Nippon Sharyo plant in Rochelle,
Illinois, which opened recently to produce double-deck vehicles for
Metra in Chicago, and will be delivered to Smart between October 2013
and May 2014.

suitomo-dmu.jpgThe contract includes an option for up to nine centre cars, which would
be added as ridership grows. Each two-car train will seat up to 158
passengers and will offer level boarding at stations.

The $US 590 million Smart project involves reintroducing passenger
services on the 113km publicly-owned Northwestern Pacific Railroad line
from Cloverdale to Larkspur, where trains will connect with Golden Gate
ferries to San Francisco. The first trains will run in autumn 2014.