ST. LOUIS — Siemens Mobility will build 55 new battery hybrid S200 high-floor light rail vehicles for the Metro Transit system, replacing the oldest vehicles in the MetroLink light rail system, the company has announced.
Bi-State Development, operator of Metro Transit, selected Siemens, which previously built the system’s SD400 and SD460 LRVs in orders beginning in 1990.
“We are grateful to Bi-State Development for this fantastic order and for their continued confidence in Siemens Mobility,” Michael Cahill, president rolling stock, Siemens Mobility North America, said in a press release. “We are excited to deliver these new state-of-the-art light rail vehicles, with our Onboard Energy Storage System, which will enhance operational flexibility, resiliency and convenience. The first of these vehicles will replace the first vehicle ever produced at our current location in Sacramento, more than 30 years ago, a great experience I remember fondly.”
The vehicles will be just the second in the U.S. to feature the on-board energy storage batteries, which allows off-wire operation for up to 5 miles. The first LRVs so equipped were delivered to Charlotte, N.C., in 2021.
The new railcars feature large windows; are designed to allow easy entry for strollers, wheelchairs, and bikes; and have an interactive GPS mapping display allowing passengers to see their location in real time.
“Our MetroLink fleet has kept our region moving for more than 30 years. This is a rolling testament to the skill of our MetroLink maintenance team and the tremendous quality of these Siemens vehicles,” said Taulby Roach, President & CEO of Bi-State Development. “As we look to the next generation of transit, we are grateful to have such a talented supplier manufacturing vehicles here in the USA.”
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