I'm surprised all the renderings of the new trains weren't posted here yet. Bi-States Operations Committee meets on October 13th to approve the contract with Siemens Mobility to begin producing these trains.
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Nice looking trains. I'm assuming the street running N-S expansion will use the same trains. Looks a lot like the ones used up in Minneapolis.
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I dont think so, unless N-S builds elevated stations, which would be odd on a street running line down the median of Jefferson, you'd need a lot more space to create a ramp to get up to the station.goat314 wrote: ↑Oct 09, 2023Nice looking trains. I'm assuming the street running N-S expansion will use the same trains. Looks a lot like the ones used up in Minneapolis.
Well the Minneapolis stations are slightly elevated off the ground. Maybe a couple feet tall.dbInSouthCity wrote: ↑Oct 10, 2023I dont think so, unless N-S builds elevated stations, which would be odd on a street running line down the median of Jefferson, you'd need a lot more space to create a ramp to get up to the station.goat314 wrote: ↑Oct 09, 2023Nice looking trains. I'm assuming the street running N-S expansion will use the same trains. Looks a lot like the ones used up in Minneapolis.
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I am not seeing any major improvements besides cosmetic ones. No space for baggage and no space for bikes. Oh well, better luck next time...
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Handicap seat areas flip up towards the windows. In the one graphic it shows a bike being “held” there not really parked since there isn’t a mount or rack.stlurbanist wrote:I am not seeing any major improvements besides cosmetic ones. No space for baggage and no space for bikes. Oh well, better luck next time...
I do agree though it cold be better unfortunately.
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Bi-State board OKs $390 million contract for new MetroLink cars
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/business/bi-state-board-oks-390-million-contract-for-new-metrolink-cars/article_38f136ee-8f09-11ee-a717-c7960e503b21.htmlThe Bi-State Development Agency's board on Wednesday approved spending up to $390.4 million to buy as many as 55 new MetroLink cars over the next several years.
The contract is with German-based Siemens Mobility Inc., the only company that competed for the mammoth contract with Bi-State, Metro Transit's parent agency.
Four other companies also sent representatives to a pre-bid meeting but decided against submitting a proposal.
Tom Curran, Bi-State's executive vice president for administration, told the board that some may have decided against doing so because they believed Siemens — which has built all MetroLink cars since the light rail line opened in 1993 — may have had a better shot.
"We're happy with the competition at the pre-proposal conference," he said. A big chunk of the money will come from a federal grant of more than $196.2 million announced last spring. The grant is from the massive infrastructure funding bill passed by Congress in 2021. Local tax money and other federal grants would cover the remainder, officials said.
The new light rail vehicles would replace much of Metro's existing fleet of 75. Bi-State said more than 20 of its MetroLink cars are 30 years old, with 15 rolling up more than 2 million miles of service.
The contract calls for 24 new MetroLink cars costing $202.7 million to be manufactured at Siemens' Sacramento, California, plant to be put into service in the next few years.
The contract also has an option to buy an additional 31 cars, at a cost of $185.6 million. None of the cars would be used on a possible expansion of MetroLink currently under consideration by St. Louis and St. Louis County.
^ Awesome. Maybe I'm just out of the loop, but what does this mean?
"None of the cars would be used on a possible expansion of MetroLink currently under consideration by St. Louis and St. Louis County."
Would these new ones not even be compatible with what's being considered?
"None of the cars would be used on a possible expansion of MetroLink currently under consideration by St. Louis and St. Louis County."
Would these new ones not even be compatible with what's being considered?
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^I thought all N/S line was paid for by the sales tax we voted for years ago and matching federal $$
Now that the city’s credit is decent, could we take out a 30 year loan and then pay it back using the next 30 years of sales tax money?
Also, we gotta figure out how to build cheaper. Federal govt. Should waive community input and environmental review for transit projects.
Also, we gotta figure out how to build cheaper. Federal govt. Should waive community input and environmental review for transit projects.
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Sales tax funding right now has enough to cover about 10% of the project cost. federal funds have to be won on competitive bases vs every other city that's applying unless Cori Bush and Dick Durbin can get the Metro a line item for $500-750M, which is doubtful.TheWayoftheArch_V2.0 wrote: ↑Nov 30, 2023^I thought all N/S line was paid for by the sales tax we voted for years ago and matching federal $$
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Got it, thanks for the break down.
In a Bi State press release they said they will begin receiving delivers in 2027. I wonder how long it will take them to get them into service
Then what's the delivery timeframe? Like how many a year and until when?
