The overhauls will take place at Alstom's Hornell, New York, facility beginning this October and the programme will last approximately four years, with the final vehicle set to be redeployed in May 2018.
The renovation is expected to add up to 15 years to the lifespan of the 25-year-old vehicles, and in order to minimise disruption to services in Baltimore, five vehicles will go through the renovation process at any one time.
Tests of several of the vehicles will take place at the start of the programme, with the results used to document the LRVs' improved performance following the renovation. This will be followed by removing all interior and exterior components from each car and carrying out any car body repairs that might be required. Alstom will then equip each train with new propulsion equipment, onboard automatic train control technology, CCTV, climate control, new seating, doors and carpets.
Baltimore's light rail network currently carries 28,000 passengers per day on services between the city centre, the northern suburbs and BWI-Thurgood Marshall Airport. This project is one of several being carried out by the State of Maryland to improve the safety and reliability of its transport systems, and is the fourth major fleet renovation contract Alstom has secured in the United States.
