San Diego MTS and Province of Mendoza, Argentina officials celebrate donation of 39 San Diego Trolleys for Metrotranvía light rail network

The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and province of Mendoza, Argentina, officials celebrated the donation of 39 San Diego Trolleys for the Metrotranvía light- rail network. The light- rail vehicles donated are part of the second generation of Trolleys at MTS, the Siemens SD100 series, that MTS began decommissioning earlier this year.

“We are proud to have this partnership with the province of Mendoza, and the opportunity for previous generations of trolleys to continue operating and safely transporting people,” said Nathan Fletcher, MTS board chair and chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. “It’s amazing to see the great working condition these trolleys have maintained after three decades of service in San Diego. This is a testament to the excellent work of maintenance crews, technicians and operators for MTS.”

This is the second time MTS is sending Trolleys to Mendoza. Given the compatibly of the city’s light- rail infrastructure with San Diego’s LRVs manufactured by Siemens, back in 2012, MTS sold 24 trolleys to Mendoza from its first-generation fleet.

“For us, this partnership with MTS is a privilege. The donation of the trolleys to be added to our Metrotanvía Mendoza system represent a huge asset to our province, which makes greats efforts in order to continue with the development of a public transportation system that is sustainable, accessible and of quality,” said Natalio Mema, secretary of public services in Mendoza. “We are eager to continue sharing experiences and perspectives with MTS in the future and strengthening ties between our regions.”

The government of Mendoza is covering all costs associated with the donation, including shipping, labor and training by MTS technicians and operators.

To make the trip, the vehicles must be dismantled into two pieces and encased in plastic. The LRVs are then transported by truck to Long Beach, by boat to Chile, and then by truck the remaining distance to Mendoza through the lower Andes. The first nine cars have already arrived in Mendoza, and shipments are expected to continue over the course of the next year.