Mayor Edwin M. Lee today joined by members of the Board of Supervisors and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) to award Siemens a contract to manufacture Muni’s next generation of light rail vehicles. The contract for $648 million will add 175 new and improved Muni light rail vehicles to the fleet that will improve reliability and safety. Siemens will manufacture the vehicles in their Sacramento facility with the first cars operational by the end of 2016. Options are in place for an additional 85 cars, bringing the overall total to 260 cars.

“Today, we are truly moving Muni forward. By expanding San Francisco’s light rail fleet, these new Siemens vehicles will make our City’s public transportation system more reliable, easier to maintain, and ready to meet the demands of a growing City,” said Mayor Lee. “This November, voters have the opportunity to approve a $500 million transportation bond that will provide critical infrastructure improvements that will also improve reliability, frequency and safety even before these new trains arrive. In addition, these new vehicles will be built right here in California, bringing jobs to our regional workforce.”

The contract, which was unanimously supported by the Board of Supervisors, is the largest light rail contract to be awarded in modern U.S. history. It will help shape the future of San Francisco’s public transportation as the City prioritizes improving the Muni fleet and investing in transportation infrastructure across the San Francisco.

“Barring multi-billion dollar investments in expanding the Market Street tunnel or creating new subway lines, this contract is probably the single greatest thing we can do for Muni riders,” said District 5 Supervisor London Breed. “On paper we have 151 trains now, but we generally only have about 110 available for service. It is this lack of trains – and reliable trains – that causes much of the delay, overcrowding, and frustration Muni riders experience every day. With this contract, we will soon have a full, reliable fleet of 21st Century trains for everyone who depends on Muni. I am incredibly proud to be a part of the effort, and I can’t wait to ride the new trains down the N-Judah soon.”

Muni’s new light rail vehicles (LRV) model, called the S200 SF Light Rail Vehicle, can operate at speeds up to 50 mph and is a hybrid creation combining the best elements from both Siemens’ successful high-floor and low-floor light rail platforms, over 1,300 of which are currently in operation. These vehicles vastly exceed the reliability targets required in San Francisco’s Request for Proposals and provide an improved, more reliable passenger door system with fewer moving parts that will also require less maintenance.

“These new vehicles from Siemens will bring a once-in-a-generation improvement for people riding Muni,” said SFMTA Director of Transportation Ed Reiskin. “Compared to our current LRV fleet, these new Siemens vehicles will last 10 times longer before significant maintenance is required. Today’s milestone, coupled with future investments in our transportation infrastructure, will create a faster, more reliable transit system for the people of San Francisco.”

Three different car designs—The Presidio, The Skyline and The Gate are being considered, with the selected design along with the final interior layout to be determined by public process following input from stakeholders, such as the riding public and various policy groups. Each new car will have a full capacity of 226 passengers, and will be highly efficient with LED lighting, smart HVAC controls and electro-dynamic braking that reduces brake pad usage and life cycle cost.

“For Siemens this contract is meaningful on many different levels: It is Siemens’ largest contract ever for light rail manufacturing in the U.S.,” said Siemens U.S. Rail System Division President Michael Cahill. “And to be able to design and manufacture these cars for our neighbors in San Francisco is going to be a very special privilege for our employees, a real element of pride for us.”

The safety of surrounding traffic, including people walking, biking and driving, is at the core of the S200 SF design. The S200 SF has exemplary driver visibility to minimize blind spots for safe in-street operation, and bright LED lighting and expressive exterior design to ensure more attention from street level. The hydraulic brakes also have the shortest reaction time possible, shortening the brake distance.  

Funding for the new LRVs comes from a variety of sources, including: the Central Subway Project through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the Prop 1B State Bond, the San Francisco County Transportation Authority’s (SFCTA) Proposition K funds, grant funds programmed by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), and SFMTA Revenue Bonds.

For more information, go to: https://www.sfmta.com/sites/default/files/agendaitems/7-15-14%20Item%2011%20LRV%204%20procurement.pdf