The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) and VIA Rail Canada have unveiled new rail vehicles to add to their respective fleets.
MDOT MTA
The MDOT MTA and the Purple Line project team celebrated the arrival of the first Purple Line light-rail vehicle on July 11. MDOT MTA says each Purple Line light-rail vehicle is 142-feet long, currently the longest of its kind in the United States. The vehicles are assembled in Elmira, N.Y., and then transported to Maryland by flat-bed trucks.
“Celebrating the arrival of the Purple Line’s first light-rail vehicle is the latest significant milestone in getting this much-needed new transit line up and running,” said MDOT Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld. “This new light-rail vehicle embodies the many benefits transit provides from connecting communities to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The progress being made is because of the commitment and effort over the past year and a half to expedite work along the alignment.”
The vehicles are being built by CAF, a Spain-based rail car manufacturer. Each vehicle has capacity for 430 passengers, with seating for 80, can accommodate up to eight wheelchairs and features eight bike racks to encourage passengers to take their bicycle or scooter onboard. The electric-powered vehicles have been designed to reduce noise as they travel through communities.
“Today marks a major milestone for the Purple Line and a major step forward for Maryland’s public transit future,” said MTA Administrator Holly Arnold. “With thousands of feet of rail track installed and 16 of 21 stations currently under construction, we are happy to announce that the project is now more than 65 percent complete.”
Once delivered to Maryland, the light-rail vehicles will undergo an extensive commission and testing process, followed by static track testing that is scheduled to begin later this year. CAF is expected to deliver the entire fleet of 28 light-rail vehicles by the end of 2025.
"Over the past several years, the Purple Line project partnership has steadfastly worked toward today's milestone,” said Purple Line Transit Partners CEO Doran Bosso. “We're heartened by our accelerating progress and we'll continue to rely on our strong partnership with the state of Maryland and the communities we are connecting."
VIA Rail Canada
VIA Rail Canada has introduced Lumi, the unique train of its new Québec City-Windsor corridor. The train’s design features VIA Rail Canada’s classic monochrome yellow while keeping the signature linear lines of the new trains.
“Some of you may now know we have new trains in the Québec City-Windsor corridor,” said Brigitte Dagnault, VIA Rail Canada’s chief communications and marketing officer. “Lumi is another way to celebrate the arrival of our new fleet and to let even more people know that they can now enjoy an unparalleled onboard experience thanks to these new modern and state-of-the-art trains. Simple and efficient, the monochrome yellow, our brand’s signature color, is a bold brand play that will stand out in the Canadian landscape.”
Lumi will be the only new train with the unique exterior design. VIA Rail Canada notes several design alternatives were evaluated, with the goal of both a nod to the past and a look to the future.
"When people arrive at stations and see Lumi, we want them to feel proud and excited about the modernization of our trains. We're looking at different alternatives but we would like the experience on board Lumi to stand out a bit, perhaps with a few surprises for our passengers. We are continuously focusing on offering an exceptional experience from reservation to destination, one that will become a core memory of our customers’ travels. Lumi is part of that vision,” Dagnault said.
Short for luminosity, Lumi will be in service by the end of August. VIA Rail Canada notes a series of tests need to be performed before going into service.
Brandon Lewis | Associate Editor
Brandon Lewis is a recent graduate of Kent State University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Lewis is a former freelance editorial assistant at Vehicle Service Pros.com in Endeavor Business Media’s Vehicle Repair Group. Lewis brings his knowledge of web managing, copyediting and SEO practices to Mass Transit Magazine as an associate editor.
