Alstom will provide Metra with an initial order of 200 push-pull rail cars following approval by the Metra Board in January 2021 for up to 500 rail cars. Alstom says the initial order is worth approximately €650 million (US$77.87 million)
"Alstom is pleased to have been selected by Metra to provide the latest in multilevel car design,” said Jérôme Wallut, president, Alstom Americas. “Alstom continues to invest and support investment in U.S. railroad infrastructure, and these new cars will allow Metra to extract maximum value from their fleet investments by increasing fleet reliability, enhancing overall passenger experience and ensuring maximum accessibility for all passengers."
The multilevel cars incorporate new design features to improve passenger experience, including a streamlined, modern and welcoming interior, equipped with USB plugs and boasting large windows and a layout to improve passenger flow and traveler comfort; seating and spacing to allow for additional ridership and physical distancing; touchless doors; improved bogie design for improved ride quality; and multiple wide doors on each side of the cars to reduce passenger boarding times and improve access to passenger areas.
The new cars will also meet all Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and accessibility requirements, including the addition of wheelchair lifts on each side of the vehicles. Fleet reliability will be enhanced through modern, service-proven components and enhanced maintenance and diagnostic system capabilities that will allow Metra to have greater visibility on fleet operational performance and increase fleet availability. Moreover, the new eco-designed cars will be energy efficient, boasting improvements and developments such as full LED lighting and climate control regulation based on passenger load. The new rail cars will also be 90 percent recyclable.
The new cars will be built at Alstom’s rolling stock Centre of Excellence, and North America’s largest rolling stock manufacturing facility in Hornell, New York. The Alstom Hornell site will lead the project. Other Alstom sites will support the project including, Rochester, New York, for the automatic train control system.
Since Metra’s inception in 1984, Alstom and its predecessor companies have supported Metra in its endeavors to deliver safe, reliable and timely passenger service to millions of riders over 11 routes totaling nearly 500 route miles and approximately 1,200 miles of track and over 240 stations throughout the greater Chicagoland area. Today, Metra relies on Alstom technologies for its signaling and train control systems, and Alstom continues to support Metra in its focus on implementing signaling and wayside data analytics solutions that will continue to deliver the highest level of safety service to customers. In addition, Alstom has been Metra’s wheel supplier since 2013, and won a contract in July 2020 to provide up to 50 overhaul kits with spare parts for Metra’s locomotive overhaul program.
