The Metropolitan Transportation Authority Finance Committee has approved the purchase of over 300 modern commuter railcars, with Alstom Transportation set to handle the work and produce the cars in New York state, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced June 23.
The MTA order includes 316 total M-9A passenger railcars, with 160 cars allocated to the Long Island Rail Road’s (LIRR) fleet and 156 for Metro-North Railroad. The $2.3 billion contract also includes an option for 242 more cars.
“New Yorkers deserve a fast, reliable and comfortable transit system. We are delivering that today through the purchase of modern railcars for the LIRR and Metro-North fleets,” Hochul said in a release. “The commuter rails are a lifeline for riders in one of the world’s largest and busiest transit systems — this is how we continue to achieve record on-time performance.”
Pilot cars will be delivered by Alstom Transportation in 2029 and first enter LIRR passenger service in 2030. All cars are scheduled to be delivered by 2032, but there is the potential for additional orders.
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said MTA is looking to buy almost 2,000 rail cars as part of a new $10.9 billion Capital Plan, and “this 300-plus order gets us off to a strong start.”
“The MTA is the biggest railcar purchaser in North America, and we are using innovative methods to bring down costs and delivery time,” said Tim Mulligan, MTA Chief of Rolling Stock Program. “By building on the reliable design of previous cars, we were able to work with the contractor to get things done better, faster, and cheaper.”
Alstom recently unveiled its brand new 135,000 square foot manufacturing facility in the City of Hornell, which offers cutting edge robotics and was hailed as “the most modern car body shell facility in the United States.”
The new plant complements three other facilities around the city. It has begun production of first validation assemblies on a contract for Metra, the commuter rail system that serves the Chicago metropolitan area.
MTA is aiming to modernize its entire fleet of rolling stock. The new M-9A cars will feature glass windows, USB charging ports and accessibility improvements, including automatic doors for bathrooms.
The M-9A cars will replace Metro-North’s M-3 cars that are beyond their service life, while allowing the LIRR to retire its M-3 cars whose service has been extended, said the governor’s office. The new railcars will operate in LIRR electric territories and on the Metro-North Hudson and Harlem lines.
(This story has been updated with new information.)
This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: More work for Alstom: MTA orders over 300 railcars that will be built in New York state
Reporting by Chris Potter, Hornell Evening Tribune / The Evening Tribune
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