30 additional vehicles for Seattle and Central Puget Sound area

Sound Transit, the regional transit system serving the Seattle and Central Puget Sound area in the US state of Washington, has placed an order with Siemens for 30 additional S70 type light rail vehicles (LRVs).

The trains will be operated on the regional transit system serving Seattle and the central Puget Sound area. With this order, Sound Transit is exercising an option of a contract that was signed in 2016. The original contract was for a total of 122 LRVs. This new order will bring the total number of Siemens light rail vehicles for the region to 152. The trains will be built at the Siemens plant in Sacramento, California, where the first batch is now in production. The first LRV is expected to arrive in early 2019.

“Ordering more Link cars earlier than planned is just one example of how we’re moving forward aggressively to build a light rail network that will serve up to 188 million riders a year by 2040,” said Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff.

The new vehicles will feature a sleek appearance with a more spacious interior with additional room for passengers and will further enhance the rider’s experience through advance passenger information systems. Additionally, the vehicles will include extra space for luggage, hooks to store up to four bicycles per vehicle, and an energy efficient LED lighting system.