Following a contract agreement in January 2021, Metra has placed its first order for 200 rail cars with Alstom to improve train services.
The contract is worth €650 million (approximately £557 million)
The new push-pull coaches to be built will feature a number of improvements for passengers, which includes:
- Modern interior – including USB charging ports, improved layout of walkways, increased capacity, touchless doors and large windows
- Wide doors to ease entering and exiting cars for all passengers
- Revised bogie design to improve the ride quality
- Wheelchair lifts on each side of the cars
- LED lighting throughout the coaches
The latest technologies in monitoring the condition of the cars will be used to keep track of when maintenance and repairs are due, which in turn should reduce downtime in the future.
Alstom will carry out all construction work at their Hornell facilities in New York, with Alstom's Rochester New York site assisting the project for the automatic train control system.
Once in service, travellers in the Chicago area will see the benefits very early on, hopefully boosting their satisfaction across the roughly 1,200 miles of track and 240 stations.
Alstom supply more than rolling stock for Metra, using their signalling & train control systems to ensure each train runs safely amongst others on their route.
Alstom Americas President Jérôme Wallut said: “Alstom is pleased to have been selected by Metra to provide the latest in multilevel car design,”
“Alstom continues to invest and support investment in U.S. railroad infrastructure, and these new cars will allow Metra to extract maximum value from their fleet investments by increasing fleet reliability, enhancing overall passenger experience and ensuring maximum accessibility for all passengers.”
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A boost like that is enough to justify reopening the branch line from Haltwhistle.